The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-23

Outram took things in hand. He captured
some of their chiefs, made friends with
them and organized corps of GOnds
who brought the district into submission
but the snakes remained, and in 1910 a
regiment of Sepoys passing through the
district had five men killed from snake
bite.
In 1894 Capt. Sellig of the First Gondas
regiment, stationed at Indur determined
to have a snake battle. With three compa-
MES and two Ghorkas-these men from
the mountains of Napaul are utterly fear-
less of wild animals, and unlil5. the Hin
docs stick to their officers till cfath-they
started.
A coil of wire netting five fec high and
two hundred feet long was lbded on a
camel and the party started elhe Choir
kas were armed with korbasdes, or six
feet whips made of buffalo hid hnd tough
as wire. "a
The wild fig tree grows low, WIT is enor-
mously broad: the limbs are Nick as a
mans body, full of cavities ami in these
the snakes coil. A site was found on a
bare hillside, the netting was 81 in a cir
Gle and was Staked fast. In frot was the
high road, and fifty yards awsg a dense
fig thicket. Through the woods ran a null
lah or ravine filled with high leeds, and
this 1t was proposed to fire One of the
men threw stones at a huge funk near
the road, and in an instant a ong black
and yellow band slid to the grund. The
man stood firm, holding his Jacket in
front. In an instnat the 1madryad
struck it. dashing his head ssainst the
mans body and nearly knoe,ing him
down. The reptiles fangs cautht in the
cloth, and the Ghorka piled his whip, and,
flashing the ground like a strike of the
fail, the snake died. He was Heven feet
long. The men were now cautioned not
to be reckless, and the dried glass in the
nullah was fired. Under the hot sun it
quickly spread to the grass in The forest.
and every one got inside the hitting and
waited. Soon the long gras9 began to
move sinuously and a loud hssing was
heard. The smoke lay dense Hinder the
trees, and the serpents made i'd the open
in leisurely fashion, their lorE pointed
neads up, waving from side TO Ide, cross
ing each other in involved fold.
And now the broad road white in the
sun, was streaked with black Ind yellow
that glowed like metal, and there was
subtle creeping odor-not unliA, valerian.
They had not scented an enemM Suddenly
one of the snakes saw the fosms behind
the net, twenty yards away, bind raised
three feet, gave a prolonged hiss and
dashed straight for his enemyN The guns
opened, the net shook as the REPTILES struck
the wire, and the Ghorkas yeM,d as they
usd their whips. Twice a headEose above
the defense, the eyes darting fih As fast
as the breech-loaders could Il fired the
fusilade was kept up. The roh was full
of a wriggling mass. In blind rage they
struck one another and coiled md fought.
1t was a horrible sight to he nervous
Europeans, but the Ghorkas wanted to
charge, and could scarcely befestrained
Behind the forest was gloiing like a
furnace, the hot smoke blf right in
the mems faces, and a retr4t was or
dered up hill. If the snakes let around
the netting, lookout was the tliught. For
tunately the column turned slth on the
road and were shot down.
''See, seei There comes the ig fellow"
Sure enough, one not less thantwenty feet
came on; his hug folds fixed along
the path. The others partel as, with
head up, the monster moved long. Two
shots We're fired into the boy. With
tremendous hiss the head resIed six feet
in the air and then buried it fangs into
its own flesh. The smoke aed heat be-
wildered the column, and 1t spwly moved
down the road In spite oflorders, the
tackled the outsiders Some slowed fight.
them.
Racing out of the wood lame three
jackals, their coats smoking I'D ran right
over the snakes and were ktten. They
kept up gallop for about 10d,ards, when
two Squatted. The other rama short dis
lance further, and then toppd over. All
We're dead when examined Zen minutes
later.
A short distance away wadln old Nah
rata fort with high bulwaks and up
these the reptiles sWarmed ad gathered
in a mass, writing and stirling. and for
an hour the guns cut them b, the Choir
kas, bare-legged, racing aft} the outsid-
ers, and fortunately escapinl the fangs.
1t was sitting hot, with II thermome-
ter no degrees. A cloth WI riggeu TOT
shelter and provisions werelrought out.
And now survey Of the fid was made,
Sixty had been killed in frot of the net
tlnS. out the neat was too Feal LOT any
further count, and an estimSe of not less
than 800 was thought modette. The Dig
fellow was seventeen feet ong and his
skin and head. stripped ws a rare tro-
ply. The Gonds all declare-hat in every
colony of the hamadryads here exists
chief who rules the others In his belly
was found one of his own pecies about
nine feet long, thus justifyng the scien-
tific name "Ophiophagus,' snake eater
And now the Ghorkas begn perform
ance. With their huge cToked knives
they cut off the head of evsy snake. the
British government gives about three
cents for this part of a ve1mous reptile.
The Ghorkas took off their baggy
breeches, the legs were til, the snake
heads loaded therein, and I the journey
was made homeward.