The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1893-12-30
BEAR AND SNAKE.
A Contest Which Had Many Exciting
Incidents.

The following story of a great land
serpent would make a good companion
story-in his hands-to Rudyard Kip
ling's sea serpent tale; but there is this
material diffefence-that this land ser
pent story has the advantage Of being
true: In those great primeyal jungles
known as the Nullamullais. some Chen
chus were en- aged ia setting their nets
for game, when their attentson was at
tracted by the most hideous noises
fierce roars Of rage and pain, and "A pro-
longed Kissing like the escape of steam
from an ,ngine. They FASTENED to the
spot and beheld the progress Of a Ho-
merle conflict, says the Madras Mail.
A huge jungle bear Was fighting for its
life with IA colossal serpent. The serpent
wound its enormous folds around the
bear; the bear dashed itself from side to
side and rolled along the ground in fren-
lied endeavors 10 get free, roaring an
grily the while and swapping its jaws
like castanets at the serpent's folds,
which, however, it could not reach, ow-
ing to the way in which they were con
stricted around the bears quiyering
body. In this way the belligerents
swayed TO the summit os a hill, down
which the bear cast itself with a velocity
that evidently Disconnected the envelop-
ing serpent, for il unwound a couple Of
folds and threw It's tail around "A tree,
evidently with tho intention OF anchOring
the bear To the tree, and preventing the
unpleasant conclusion that would be en-
genlercd by tumbling downhilI. This
resulted in the serpent's undoing, in
more ways than one. The rigid line Of
tail stretched out from the tree to the
bears body gave the bear a chance of
Selling hold of it's assailant, which up TO
this time had not been offered. 1t was
prompt to avail itself of the opportunity,
aud turning with u tremendous effort,
fastened its powerful Jaws into the
snakes quivering flesh. The Kissing was
now appalling, Us the writing serpent
rapidly unfolded its huge body and
struck savagely Mt the clinched jaws Of
the bear to make it release the mangled
mass of flesh between. In responSe the
bear roared %furiously, dashiug from side
to side, and worrying the mouthful of
serpent in its jaws in paroXysms of an
guished rage. Once more the serpent
CONSTRUCTED, the bear howled and gasped,
and both rolled struggling out of view
into the high grass of the forest.
Their track was now marked with
pools Of blood, and when they were
again seen they had parted. The snake
evidently badly mangled, was coiled in
an attitude of defence, with its head
erect, and Kissing apprehensively. 1t
had evidently had enough and only
wished to be left in peace. Not so the
bear. Though nearly crushed to death,
with its tongue lolling out from its
gasping oam-tlecked and bloody jaws,
the aroused brute, with innate ferocity,
declined to retire from the combat.
After II moments pause it rushed upon
the serpent. Evidently the latter was
spent from loss of blood, for the bear
Immediately got it 10y the head and
dragged it about with roars Of triumph.
The whole of the underground around
was beaten down flat by the ~convulsive
of the great serpent's tail as the
bear crushed its head to pieces, and it
ultimately lay an inert and lifeless mass
beneath the ferOciouS assaults of its vim
enemy. The Chenchus believe
the was accidental. 1t oc-
on a game track in the forest, and
are of opinion that the serpent was
summing itself on the path when the bear
came along, and, as neither would yield
the path to the other, the fight resulted.