The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-22
A Terrible Combat.
From the Madras Mail.

The following story of a great land
serpent would make good companion
story-in his hands-to Rudyard Kiplihg's
sea-serpent tale; but there is this mate
rial diference-that the land serpent
story has the advantage of being true. In
those great primevaI jungless known as
the Nullamullais, some Cheuchus were
engaged in setting their nets for game,
when their attention was attracted by the
most hideous noises--herce roars of rage
and pain, and prolonged kissing. like the
escape OF steam from an engine They
fastened to the spot and beheld the pro-
gress of a Homeric conflict
A huge jungle bear was fighting for its
life with colossal serpent. The serpent
wound its enormous foldsIaround the bear
the bear dashed itself from side to side
and rolled around the ground in frenzied
endeayors to get free, roaring angrily the
while and swapping It's jaws like castanets
at the serpents folds, which, however, it
could not reach, owing to the way In
which they were CONSTRUCTED around the
bears quiyering body. In this way the
belligerents swayed to the summit of
hill, down which The bear cast itself with
a velocity that evidently disconnected the
enyeloping serpent, for it unwound a
couple of folds and threw its tail around
a tree, evidently with the intention
of anchoring the bear to the tree
and preventing the unpleasant concus-
Sions that would be engendered by
tumbling down hill. This resulted
in the serpent's undoing, in more ways
than one, The rigid line of tail stretched
out fronTth tree TO the bears BODY gave
the bear chance OF selling hold of its as
sailant, which 4p 10 ,thisa.kime had not
been afforded. 1t was prompt to avail
itself of the opportunity, and, turning
with tremendous, effort, fastened its
powerfals5aws'intot hesaasFeas auivering
flesh. The missing was NOW appalling, as
the writing serpent rapidly lnfolded its
huge bodyand struck savagely at the
clinched1aw Of the bear 90 make it re-
lease the mangled mass Of flesh between.
In response, the bear roared furiously,
dashing from side to side, and worrying
the mouthful Of serpent in its Jaws in
paroxysus of anguished 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. qahss :.
Their track was now marked with pools
of blood, aud 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 hiss
ing apprehensively. II had evidently had
enough and only wished to be left in
peace. Not so the bear. Though nearly
crushed 10 death, with its tongue lolling
out from its gasping, foam. fecked and
bloody Jaws, the aroused brute, with
innate ferocity, declined to retire from the
combat. After moments pause it rushed
upon the serpent. Evidently the latter
was spent from loss Of blood, for the bear
Immediately got ii by the head, and
dragged ii about with roars of triumph.
The whole OF the underground around
was beaten down fiat by the convulsiye
strokes 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
dictive enemy. The Chenchus believe
the encounter was accidental. IL oc-
CURED on a game track in the forest, and
they are Of the 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 re-
suited