The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-09-19

some enough
70 figure at church parade in HYDE
Park, and strong enough to fell an OK
with.
In my peregrinations through the
bush of Australia this stick was always
with me. 1t was stout support and
a weapon Of defense in case of need.
If ever snake had confronted me
i leave you to guess the reception he
would have got. Talk about mince-
meat,
! have a perfect horror of snakes
those pests of central Australia-and
30, as soon as / had arrived in the coun-
try. / made every inquiry as to the best
methods of protecting ones self against
the reptiles.
Cover your legs with leather gai-
ters," was told. land then, with good
stick in your hand, you need have no
fear"
Thereupon l was enlightened as to
the infallible manner of Staying the
enemy:
Avoid placing yourself behind or
In front of your snake-behind es-
pecially-but take it side on, grip your
stick hard and bring it down on its
back with all your might: Bangi-
there you are; you have broken its
slippery spinal column, and your snake
is soon as dead as door nail"
Over and over again people said to
me: Surely you will not return to
Europe without being able to say to
four compatriots: 4 killed serpent
Ia Australia, and this is how it was
Eone"" Every Frenchman who has
travelled in far countries is supposed
10 be more or less tinged with tar
tarinade.
All that is very well, but am pru
dent man, and / said to myself: In
stead of Frenchman telling his fell
tSw-countrymen how to kill snake. it
night just as likely end IN a snake tell
ing It's friends and family how to pol
ssh off a Frenchman."
However, when / was in the bush,
wandering about armed with that new
stout walking-sticl1, / went through
the roll that might be called upon to
enact at any moment, and l killed
them by hund reds-the snakes that
were not there. Not one escaped.
just a tremendous whack, and the
thing was done exactly as my friends
bad tol me: 'Bang!-there you are"
In the ca Sc of two enemies, the one
who is first discovered by the other is
half beaten. And so the snake I
feared especially was the one hidden
In the grass or the dead wood with
which the bush is strewn and which,
being walked upon, has a way of en-
tering an energetic protest in the form
of bite on your calf before you have
time to know where you are.
But the snake that [ dreaded most
of all was the one which insinuates it.
self at evening into peoples houses,
glides into a bedroom and quietly
rurls up in the bed.
/ arrived one event ng in a town sit
rated in the interior of New South
Wales. The season was what the in
habitants of those parts called win
Ter; l05 degrees of heat at midday and
20 at nine in the evening-regular
snake weather. Not a leaf stirred; one
could scarcely breathe in the leaden
atmosphere. The little town was
right in the bush. Behind the ho-
tel where / had alighted ran a. small
river that furni shed the establishment
with mosquitoes of an energy and w.
tacity beyond competition. The cook
ery in that hotel was atrocious. Like
poor dead Polonius. we, the guests,
were at feast. not where we ate, but
where we were eaten. Before retiring
10 rest on the first night / had a chat
with the landlord, who informed me
that the district was infested with
snakes. The close vicinity of the bush
and of the river. added to the intense
heat, naturally rendered the town
likely resort for snakes. That very
afternoon my host had killed one
measuring eight feet in one of his
flower beds. And" he said, 1.-The
plague of it is tn at the bru+es are con-
stantlv getting into the house and
hiding in the bedrooms"
You may imagine whether l searched
my room in every part: in the corners,
under the furniture. under the bed and
In the bed. carefully prodded with
that good site X of mine the bed-cocer-
ings and the pillows
No snakes anywhere.
Quite treasured. l closed the win
dow, undressed, put out the light and
got into bed
The heat was sitting.
Presently some mosquitoes began to
buzz around my head. intonatiug the
battle cry that heralds n combat with
out quarter There were curtains. but
with holes in them: worse than none.
Il is generally SO with Australian ho-
tells. The consequence is that when
the beast is inside he cannot get out.
A duel a mort You or he must die.
That buzz OF the mosquitoes is as irri-
Eating as the whining of bullets on
the battlefield, but with this differ
ence. however, that the ball which has
iust gone singing past You is gone for
sver. while the buzz OF the mosquito
announces to yoa that the battle is
about to begin.
Asa protection for my head, and at
the risk of suffocation. [ drew the
sheet over my face. and then, bathed
In preparation. | tried TO FORGE in
sleep real mosquitoes and imaginary
snakes.
believe l slept for few minutes
The heat was such that felt as if
were burning and painting in boiling
water bath. 1t was impossible TO en-
dure it longer, SO / resolved TO give nv
hands and AIMS over TO the mosquitoes
hecplng the sheet over ~ IaOe, paI
my arms outside and laid my hands on
the quilt
No, really, am not more of 4 cow