Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1892-06-03


TO side. Truly, the white kings life
was in danger.
grasped my oars and forced the
stern of the shell about, and backing
water, | came up to the raft with its
fatal freight, anding plac the point of
tho boat against it gently pushed it
before me out into the current of the
river.
A shout of thanksgiving rose be-
hind me as drifled along down stream,
watching the scrpents on the raft at the
stern. The creatures moved uneasily
aud started at me with their uuwink-
ing eyes, aud at last one dropped over
board and sank beneath the quiet sur
face.
| thought of the stories | had heard
of the quarrelsome and revengcful
disposition of the karoo bokadam, how
if disturbed it would follow boats for
miles, watching for ch1nce to leap
over The lhwart' and attack the row.
.ers; how swift, how tircless and how
terrible it was. Even the books at the
station corrobOratcd the stories of the
natives; from quaint old Monligny's
s.Voyagc en- SIAM" to the latest
natural history from London, all
agreed in their stories of the malignant,
drepdfnl karoo bokalam, And yet |
nos Dciievc these stories. @
| decided 10 anger the serpent and
see what he would do.
Ipicked mp IL heavy piece of wood
that was floating in the river and
threw it at him. striking lin full on
the ieck. With an angry hiss he
raised his head and then deliberately
cast Himself into the water and started
TO sw IN along the side of the boat
towad me.
Til shell sat low down in the
water land he could easily reach me,
20 sized the oars and took strong
pull.
: Thdjoat shot ahead, but OH came
Z he shake, swifter than before, and
e tool another pull, hardly believing
s. nat he reptile was really following
: lie. But my doubt was soon laid
Is rest, for he darted along on the sur.
III ace, straight in my wake.
re | bent TO the oars and made the she'll
nc o as fast as my weary muscles
s. 'ould allow. And yet the snake
H. ,emed to gain, aud as knew that in
IN tired condition | could not long
ao eep up the race, decided to run
He hore. But the shore line was be-
10 nd forest of tall reeds growing far
OIL into tho river and the snake could
Il me at his leisure while my boat
'ehuck in them.
'hu | thought of striking him with an
lhSr, but there lie was few feet be-
nd the boat, and before | could get
'nti oar out of its cumbrous fastening
Ter would be upon Inc, and even could
yet tho oar out in time it would be
'iho long and unwieldy at close quar-
nP(s
bMy only hope was to make for the
thst practicable landing and there was
he nearer than the bathing place of
ac- white elephants.
lmet was my second race that day, and
mile victory meant more than glory. !
niles forth all my remaining strength,
king with chagrin how eaeiIy |
t myd leave the snake behind if we're
my,o utterly exhausted.
ldredn, on, tirelessly follows the wrigg-
But hideous death, and | see the hor-
icd to bead get nearer tho stern. II
sslbies the stern posts, and | mark its
'iiorisess by the copper rivets in tho
'ad off the boat. His nose is opposite
M the 81 rivet, the second, the third; |
my IN mighty pull at the oar., and it
N my,ack behind tho boat once more.
wasear the splashing of water. |
up. am nearly opposite the
owingnt's bathing place. The old
I'm elephant is still in the water,
ear the sndaut elephants by his side. |
plants. make a turn TO pass them and
II. bel he shore, and as | lose Roadway
le bank turn the snake will overtake
IT'S tug
5 in the thing flashes past my eyes as
, out of hard OH the left oar 10 make
Siam attn and the snake disappears.
lants of ID priest of the temple stands
l,itc elc- his elephant.
n most boat CRATES tho shore, the
10 how body of the karoo bokadam
anted in mboo spear rise to the sur
,her ele- float down the river.
vantage God turn deserves another,