The Durham daily globe. (Durham, N.C.) 1889-1894, 1894-07-14

When we were 30 feet away, we cOun
seled in whispers as to what we hould do.
Let the big sergeant but move hand or foot
and the snake would strike with the swift
ness Of lightning. A waking man, fully
realizing his peril, might gather himself
for a sudden roll TO the right, but he would
not even dare to draw a long breath or
a finger. The other men were across
the creek and half a mile away, and the
sound of their voices barely reached us.
We could think of but one way to do.
One of US must creep up on the sergeant's
right side, whisper his peril in his ear, and
then rest the muzzle of a carbine across his
body and blow the snake clear away with
the bullet. The big sergeant was a man
Of iron nerve, but could he be aroused
without an alarm? His hat was pulled
down over his face till we could only see
the point of his chin. To fire at the ser
pent as he lay coiled up meant peril to the
soldier. Our nerves were so shaky that
none of us could nave been induced to try
the shot. 1t was decided that Private
O'Mallon should try to carry out our
plan. He pulled off his shoes, stripped
off his jacket and belt, and fiinging dOwn
his hat he grasped a carbine and went
creeping over the short grass. The others
of us could but wait and hope. If the ser
geant slept on, all might be well. If he
awOke, he was a lost man. We had no
remedy in the camp for the poison which
the fangs of that reptile would leave be-
hind.
Only - yards to creep, and yet it SEEM
ed that the man would never finish his
journey. He must be dOubly careful. A
noise which might not reach the serpent's
ear might arouse the soldier. To have
touchCe him before whispering in his ear
would nave been to rouse him up. When
O'Mallon finally bent forward, our excite
ment was so great that we turned our
faces away.
"Sergeant!'' he whispered after a soft
hisS-'sergeant, wake up"
The sergeant moved his right hand to
show hat he understood.
"There's IA snake on your blanket!'
The hand moved again.
I'm going to rest the CUR on your body
and blow the life out of him! No need of
your jumping up after l fire, because he'll
be a dead snake!"
Once more the hand.
1t seemed to take the man a long minute
to get his carbine in position. When he
finally pulled the trigger, the snake vas
cut in two and blown a distance of 10 feet,
u ~ b CoIp1C VI IIlLlllCtS lIIC CHGS SlLG-
tered, the tongue darted in and out, and
the fangs were struck into the grass. The
sergeant did not move. We ran to him
and uncovered his face. His eyes were
open, his jaw down, and the sunburn on
his face had been replaced by the pallor Of
death. We shook him by the hand and
congratulated him and sought to arouse
him, but he simply looked at us in a won
dering, stupid way and at the end of 10
minutes sank down and began weeping.
An hour later he told US that he had
scented the snake and knew his danger
before we moved to aid him.
From that hOur and day the big ser
geant was as helpless as a child. They
sent him away on furlOugh, but he came
back a wreck and was discharged from the
service to die before spring. He had detied
death by shot and shell and bullet and ar
row a hundred times, but when death
came gliding out of the grass and cOiled
up beside him to sleep the fear OF it broke
him down and made him a human wreck.
NJ. QUAD.