Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-07-27
Adventure with a Serpent.

|
ber of solitary cells, where the dis
orderly members of the corps are
confined for longer or shorter terms,
by order of the commanding officer.
In one of these, at Madras, on q
certain occasion, was locked up poor
Jock Hall, Scotchman belonging
to Edinburgh or Leith. Jock had
got intoxicated, and being found in
that condition at the hour of drill,
was sentenced to eight days solitary
Imprisonment.
Soldiers in India have their bed
ding partly furnished by the COM
pany, and find the remainder for
themselves. About this part of
house furnishing, however, Hall
troubled himself very little, being
one of those hardy, reckless beings
on whom privation and suffering
seem to make no impression. A
hard floor was as good as down
bed to Jock, and therefore, as he
never scrupled to sell what he got,
it may be supposed that his sleeping
furniture was none of the most
abundant or select. Such as it
was, he was stretched upon and un-
der it one night in his cell, during
his term of penance, and possibly
was rejecting on the impropriety of
in future putting IAN enemy into
his mouth to steal away his brains"
when 10! he thought he heard a
rustling in the cell close by him.
At this moment he recollected
that he had not, as he ought to
have done, stopped up an air hole
which entered the cell on level
with the floor, and also with the
rock externally on which the build
ing was placed. A strong suspicion
of what had happened, or was about
to happen, came over Halls mind.
but he knew it was probably too
late to do any good, could he even
find the hole in the darkness, and
get it closed. He therefore lay still,
and in a minute or two heard an
other rustic close to him, which was
followed by the cold, Shiny touch Of
a snake upon his bare foot.
Who in such a situation would
not have started and bawled for
help? Jock did neither; he lay
stone still, and held his peace, know
ing that his cries would most prob
ably have been unheard by the dis
tant guard. Had his bedclothes
been more plentiful, he might have
endeavored to protect himself by
wrapping them closly around him;
but this their scantiness forbade.
Accordingly, being aware that al
though motion or touch will pro-
woke snakes to bite, they will not
generally do it without such incite-
ment, Jock held himself as still as
if he had been log.
Mean while, his horrible bedfel-
low, which he at once felt to be of
great size, crept over his feet, legs
and body, and lastly over his face.
Nothing but the most astonishing
frmness Of nerve, and the conscious
ness that the moving of muscle
would have signed his death war;
rant, could have enabled the poor
fellow to undergo this dreadful trial.
For a whole hour did the reptile
crawl backwards and forwards over
Jocks body and face, as il satisfy
ing itself, seeming, that it had moth
ing to fear from the recumbent OBJ
ject on it's own part. At length
he took up position somewhere
about his head, and went to rest in
apparent security. Till daylight he
remained in the same posture-flat
on his back-without daring to stir
a limb, from the fear of disturbing
his dangerous companion.
Never, perhaps, was dawn so anx-
iously longed for by mortal man.
When it did come, Jock cautiously
looked about him, arose noiselessly,
and moved over to the corner of his
cell, where there lay pretty large
stone. This he seized and looked
for the intruder. Not seeing the
snake he became assured that it
was under his pillow. He raised
the end of this just sufficiently to
get peep of the creatures crest.
Jock then pressed his knees firmly
on the pillow, but allowed the snake
to wiggle out his head, which he
battered to pieces with the stone.
This done, the courageous fellow
for the first time breathed freely.
| When the hour for breakfast
came, Jock, who thought little
about the matter after it was fairly
over, took the opportunity of the
opening Of the door to throw the