The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1892-12-31

| WAY 30 iutcuSc tndt L lcareQ tndt
should be compelled to break my grip
on its neck. Apart from the actual
pain of the pressure and the weight of
the serpent, my arm was twisted COM
pletely around and almost fanciei
could hear the bones cracking. It was
therefore with extreme difficulty that |
descended from bough to bough, until
within eight feet of the base of the
tree, when grasping decayed branch,
down l came head first to the ground,
with my friend still in my hand. For.
tunately the fall did not stun me, and
my clutch did not relax sufficiently to
allow the snake to extricate his head.
The Zulu boy, who had been an open.
mouthed witness of the occurrence,
now drew his knife and while held the
serpent against the trunk of the tree,
severed its head from its body. The
rest of the snake was easily uncoiled
from my arm, which had become all
shades from black to green, owing to
the tight fit of my singular bracelet.
1t was couple of weeks after this be-
fore could use the muscles Of my arm
with freedom.
had still another snake episode dsr-
ing my rambles that day. We had re-
traced our steps, and were out of the
thick part of the forest when noticed
| a covey of small birds circling wildly
above tree and twittering excitedly.
Looking closely to ascertain the cause
of the commotion, saw huge snake
just rearing its head an inch or two
above the topmost branches, around
which the little songsters were convul.
sively futtering. Their shrill notes be-
trayed the great alarm they were ex-
periencing, and yet the magnetism of
their enemy's brilliant eye seemed to
draw them ever nearer to him. Sud-
denly the snakes head shot out, and
one OF the poor trembling little war
blers fell into the open jaws The re-
mainder Of the birds few of at once.
determined to have that snake or know
the reason why, but did not feel very
much like shining up the tree to get
him after my experience Of the pre-
vious hour, SO determined to move him
by other means. My servant and I col
lecteda number of stones and proceeded
to make it pretty warm for the bird
catcher. Two or three of our missiles
struck him, but not one in vital part.
and after awhile the snake seemed to
think that sort of fun had been going
on long enough, and he came rapidly
down the tree. We did not succeed in
hitting him during his descent, and he
was soon gliding down the trunk. 1t
CHANGED to be of the cobra species,
which will attack man if disturbed.
Directly it touched the ground it made
straight for the Zulu, who dropping his
stones, made the best running time on
record towards an activity close 70
where we stood. Attaining the sum-
init OF the hill, he looked quickly be-
hind, only to find his pursuer close at
his heels The descent before him was
very steep, one, in point of fact a man
under ordinary circumstances would
carefully pick his way down, but the
exigencies of the Zulu's position did not
leave much margin for accommodating.
With yell like twelve basketsful of
devils. as Friend Rabelais would say,
he started down the hill, closely fol-
lowed by the snake. l followed, but
q regard for my neck made my prog
ress much more moderate. Besides |
had not such an important engagement
to keep as the Zulu. The latter had
lost all control of his movements, and
flew down the declivity at express
speed, the cobra making prodigious
bounds behind him. When the dis
lance between the Zulu and the snake |
was not more than three feet, the
former caught his toe in the root of a |
tree and fell full length on the ground,
some tufts of grass to pre-
vent rolling. The snakes impetus was
evidently uncomfortable also, for it |
bounded clear over the Frustrated Zulu
and continued the pace to the bottom
Of the hill.
fastened to join the boy, thinking
The snake might return to attack him,
but it had abandoned the hunt. was
bent on having the snake, however,
and told the native to cut two stout
sticks, armed with which we proceeded
10 hunt up our whilom pursuer. 1t
took some little time in the thick
grass, but we eventually spotted him,
out near tree. As we came
n sight he made for US viciously, but
} blow from my stick made him retreat.
Following him up / saw him attempt
20 hide in q hole about twelve inches
ieep, scratched in an ant heap. He
vas obviously under the impression
ha. he had struck deep hiding place,
Ind as he touched bottom turned
harply around to come out again,
when placed my stick below his head
md held him to the ground to watch
lis antics. The fierce look of baffied
age and malignant hatred which
hone in his eyes was simply in
lescribable. As bent down to look
nto them forgot the danger was in
urring and became quite interested in
the reptile, when pitt! Pit!
he cobra discharged its venom at me.
ov1l Ia | i