The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-06-25
THE HORROR OF A NIGHT
SEVENTEEN DEADLY SNAKES
FOR BEDFELLOws.
Lying for Hours without Daring to Move
Muscie-No Wonder the Young
Mans Hair Turned white
rs the Driven snow.


1T was a rather grewsome expert
ence which caused my hair 10 whiten
IN this manner said rather youth
full looking traveller to the group who
sat about him in the smoking car. and
who had noticed his young face and
snowy locks
Two years ago" he continued.
my eldest brother. who had been on q
tour around the world. came home.
Much to our disgust he brought back
with him from the island OF Sumatra
q large glass case containing some re-
markedly poisonous specimens OF
snakes for the purpose OF studying
and analysing their venom when once
more In the laboratory which he had
caused to DO built mex. to his room.
II have always had horror OF
snakes and although do not think
that am q coward felt an absolute
dread OF the writhing coil OF reptiles
which Yves insisted on keeping in his
dressing-room. inclosed In their prison
Of glass. On the second night after
my brothers return went to bed
very late. 1t was a cold November
night and the wind swept In Icy gusts
around the old place.
Il must have slept about an hour
when I was awakened by an incom-
prehensible feeling OF anguish. Cold
Precipitation stood on my face and I
experienced great difficulty in breath
ing. Dazed and surprised. looked
around me- but the fire had almost
completely died out and the dim
rosy light fpom the smouldering
embers was not strong enough to
allow me to distinguish any thing
clearly. In my hurry to get to bed l
had forgotten to place matches within
lay reach. so that was just trying
to reason myself into going to sleep
again when a very slight rustic at
tracted my attention and made me
shudder from head to foot
1T was so slight that none but ears
sharpened by fear could have per-
ceived it. and yet there was soft
silky. gliding. undulating motion OF
something invisible gradually and
steadily approaching my bed. lay
there incapable OF moving. straining
every nerve in my effort to realize
what that sound could be- but the
beating Of my pulses was SO loud that
/ could less and less distinguish
whence it came. Suddenly my heart
died within me. for a cold. clammy.
wriggling object had touched my
hand where it lay on the outside oil
the coverlet. In that truly awful min
ute tho full horror OF the situation
flashed upon me-the box containing
my brothers snakes had been left
open! Attracted by the warmth the
monsters had glided in through the
dressing room door and were taking
refuge from the cold in my bed In
spite OF my well-nigh cra.ed state OIL
mind l thoroughly realized that my
only chance OF escape from immediate
death lay in absolute stiffness. One
motion OF hand or foot and the
startled reptiles would make an enc
Of me-
Can you imagine. gentlemen. wha
it Is to be morodly afraid OF snakos and
to have to lie there motionless while
seventeen-ycs. seventeen-hideous
writhing. nauseous serpents creep one
after the other into your bed and mes
tie against you in their search fol-
warmth and comfort? Great heavens
when I think OF 1t once more ex
perience the feeling Of frenzied terror
and APPALLING loathing which came 81
near killing me that night And still
! dared not so much as breathe. for
we'll knew that one bite OF the poison
Gus fangs which surrounded me on al
sides now would be immediate de
struction. My brother had told m,
only that evening that these were tn,
most deadly kind OF snakes known t,
the natives OF Sumatra- ! would hav,
braved all this however. so intoler
able was my anguish, to escape from
the diabolical contact OF those long
closer to me. But / was consciou
that even had they been removed
would have been incapable Of stirring
was paralyzed by some magneti
power or perhaps by fear alone. Tn
minutes dragged along like hours ant
the hours like days. Several times
clinched my teeth convulsively Il
smother a cry OF agony which wa
almost wrung from me by a motion o
one OF my awful bedfellows; Their
J would have been rs much danger Il
, screaming as in moving ever s,
I slightly.
> Slowly. miserably slowly the tim
dragged on its weary course. Towar,
day. break Think must have swoone
, away. for I certainly lost all conscious
| ness OF my friRhtful situation. Whe
Q / once more awoke to the sense there
OF could SEQ that the sun had risen
? again minutes grew into hours Q
indescribable slowness and suffering
Q I could now hear the servants movin
! about and the horses being led out 10
{ exercise In the paddocks.
Suddenly the door was pushe
open and my brother walked up to N
bedside With q hoarse terrified CT
, he recoiled few steps. COLLECTING
l all my terrified reason. ! whispere
, one word. Milk For . second h
. gazed distraughtly at mo; then com
0 pretending what had happened h
: rushed frantically from the room
Il