The Helena independent., 1892-05-06
The KAROO BOkADAMS.
A Snake Story, True, Because Told
by . Missionary Lately
Returned
Mad Race for Life Between q
Hculler and a Deadly
Reptile.
Reward for Saving tl,e Life Of Sacred
White Elephant-One Good Turn
Deserves Another.

Written for The HELENA INDKrENDENT.l
Hr BRONZED YOUNG MISSIONARY,
VI. lately returned from Siam, told me
~ tho following story:
I was a member OF the boat crew
while at college, and whom ! started for
Siam az missionary Immediately after
graduation, took with mo the single row.
ing shell in which had done my individual
training for the crew.
The missionary station to which ! wns
assigned was in the largo town of Ashenam,
on the Menam river, Home fifty miles above
bangkok, the capital and chief city OF tho
country. The town was not at all import
ant, exceGt that thers was n celebrated
temple there in which were kept several
sacred white elephants. II WAS strong
hold OF heathendom, and the little chapsl
Of the missionary stntion looking across
the riyes at the huge pagodn Of white ele-
plants was quite large enough for its Lum-
Bile congregation.
The river WAS nearly half mile wide
and afforded = fine OPT ortunity for exercise
in my shell. Every afternoon At about
four O'clock / took row. and often hov-
cred near the bank upon which the white
elephant pagoda stood. Watching the snorod
creatures as they took their daily bath in
the river. ] never dared venture very
near for the priests Of the pagoda bore no
love toward the missionaries and could
easily do mo some harm; they would jus
tify themselvaB to the town authorities hy
saying that they we're preventing me from
working spells against tbs elephants.
A a liz wan arrilara for hurnun E,oirr ~
mount the backs OF the white elephants,
each one was driven to the river between
two common elephants. A sort of collar
went around the white elephants neck.
To the sides Of this COLLAR were fastened
two chains. and the other ends OF these
chains we're fastened to similar collars
about the necks of the attendant elephants.
Priests sat upon the backs of the common
elephants, and by driving them forward or
stopping them could lead or hold back the
white elephant. Tho chains were very long
in order to give the white elephant plenty
of freedom when taking his bath.
In general they walked between their at
tendants docile enough, and the drivers
held the slack of the chains coled in their
laps.
Among the few European residents Of the
town was "a young English merchant who,
having been n member Of the boat crow ut
Oxford and owning she'll felt bound to
show England's superiority over the United
States by beating me in a boat race on the
Menam.
He issued challenge and accepted.
The appointed day came. The course was
to be 4 two mile stretch up river, starting
two miles below the missionary station.
The race was a close one, but my con
stant tlaining told, and / left my adver-
sary behind several hundred yards hsforo
reaching the goal, But for the honor Of
America, | wished to make the defeat as
severe ss possible and relaxed nothing Of
ahead of the Englishman. The momen-
tum the boat had gathered carried il along
in the placid wate. and lay upon my oars,
scarcely able to move. l was completely
exhausted.
All at once n tremendous believing
caused me to look up Ill alarm. Unawares,
/ had f1oated quite near the bathine-place
of the white elephHnts. One old fellow
was in the river believing with rage, while
on the bank were his two attendant ele-
plants tugging and straining al, the chains
in the vain attempt to make him come out
OF the water. Tho elephants Of Siam at
tain larger size than the elephants of any
even larger than most Siamese elephants.
Observing how firmly the old fellow WAS
planted in the river sand. and that the
other elephants labored under the dis
advantage of standing on the sloping bank,
I concluded that he would plotraot his
bath as long as he chosa.
All at once the attendant elephants ceased
their struggles and 4 cry of tefror burst
from tho lips OF ons OF the priests, and
whatever had believed before 1 am now
certain that those white elephant priests
love and venerate their charges.
k~-1r Ir~ \ u
priest, "the white kings life is in dan
gerp'
Floating down the river, directly toward
the white elephant, was n piece of wreck
age. part of q broken bamboo raft, and ly-
ing coiled upon it were two Of that h1deous,
terribly venomous variety of water snakes,
the karoo bokadam.
If the wreckaRe kept its course it would
float against the elephants side. If he
moved he might excite the vindictiye
snakes and receive fatal blow.
The priests on the attendant elephants
halted them, but still tho white elephant
beloved and swayed from side to side.
graaped my oars and forced the stern Of
the she'll about, and backing water, came
up to the raft with its fatal freight, and
placing tho point OF tho boat against it.
gently pushed it before mo out into tho
current of the river.
n HlOub Dl tnhuhbk1VlHk Iose ueulnu ue
as dritted along down stream, Watching
the serpents on tho raft ut the stern. I he
creatures moved uneasily and stared at ma
with their unWlnking byes, and at Last ono
dropped overheard aud sank beneath the
quiet surface.
I thought of tho stories l had heard OF
the quarrelgoms and ravenEeful disposition
of the karoo hokadam, how, if disturbed it
would follow boats for miles, watching FOR
n chance to leap over tho thwartn and at
tack the roWers; how swift. how tireless
and how terrblo it was. Even the books
at the station cotroborateu the stories of
the natives; from quaint old Montiuuya
Voyage En- Siam, to the latest natural his.
tory from London, NIL agreed in their stu-
1ies of the malignant, dreadful knroo boka-
dam. And yet l did not believe these sto-
xies.
decided to anger the serpent and acc
what he would do.
picked up heavy piecs OF wood that
WAS floating in the river and threw it al
him, striking him full on tho nook. With
an angry hiss, he raised his head, and than
deliberately oaHt himself into the water aud
started to swim along the side OF tho boat
toward me.
The shell sat low in the water and he
could easily reach me, so | seized tho oars
and took Il strong pull.
The boat shot aheed, but ON came the
snake, swifter than before, and | took an
ether pull. hardly believing that the reptile
was really following rae. But my doubt
was soon laid ut rest, for he dartsd along
ON the surface, straight IN my wake.
/ bent to tha oars and made the she'll 90
as fast AZ my weary muscles would allow.
i a n