The times., 1897-04-11

y
the surveyor of large district and having
a gang of nv own. In this connection
we were often called to survey lands far
away from villages, lay out roads through
the jungles, and camp out for weeks at a
time Every man went well armed, TO
protect himself from robbers and wild
beasts. and now and then we took Il day
off and potted q tiger or panther. When
| first landed In Boinbayit camein my way
to do a native a small service. He was
assaulted in the street by drunken sol
der and although be did not derend
himself. ne was carried off to jan and
subsequently put Oh trial and charged with
felonious assault But for my testimony
in his favor, he would have been sent TO
prison In giving true account OF the
affair I won the euniity OF the miltary
and the natives gratitude. When ne
found was going up country and wouldbe
exposed to the perls Of serpents and WIG
beasts he insisted on presenting me wltft
mascot. 1t was u little bag made OF
the skin of cobra, and was to be worn
about the neck 10y gold chain OF curious
workmanship. AS to the contents OF the
bag, he would not say, bat charged meoyer
and over again not to open it or part with
the chain. 1 allowed him TO putt around
my neck with his own hands, and when he
had clasped it, he said
'Sahib, you can now travel any where
in India and fear neither serpents hor
wild beasts You have only TO look out
for pad men"
| realized that the native felt grateful
and wanted TO give me proof OF IL,
but attached no Importance TO his dec
laratiou / don't remember that L men
| toned the fetch TO any one until one day
! six mouths later, when taking S vim III a
| pool with military officer, he noticed the
| thing and gave it a close Inspection L
! laughed at the idea, but he seriously said
There are strange things in ln,ha, and
after YOU have been here for year OF
| two YOU will smile at nothing with mys-
| tery attached to it. I'll guarantee that
| chain was made for and has been worn Dy
| a rajah, and the hand that fashioned it
| has been dead for goo years. Just con-
| tinue TO wear the fetch and see what VIII
| come OF It.
| Two weeks later I was sent to survey
the boundaries of a small village sit
| uateu in the midst of the jungle, and
! ten miles off the main highway. we
! pitched our tents on the west side OF
| the village, and every evening the ma
| tives heat around to see that no serpentS
| were lurking near. One night, While L
| was sitting up beyond the usual hour to
| catch up with my field notes and writing
| by the light Of candle, | suddenly felt
| something touch my knee and looked down
| 10 find a large cobra at my feet. To say
| that I was frightened does not half ex-
| press it, l was simply parayzed. 1
could see and think, but L could not move
| a finger While | looked the serpent
| reared itself up and touched my breast,
/ and as il sank down IL rubbed my ankle ana
leg That was doomed man had no
| doubt hut while was breathing prayer
! the cobra wrigglcd across the tent and
| disappeared under its edge. He had been
| gone a minute before my shouts raised
an alarm, and then thetwo white men In my
| gang declared that must have been dream
ing 1t is not impossible for one to fal
| asleep for a moment in the saddle, on the
march, or while holding pen at his desk,
and the men were so sure that only had
| n vision that l finally gave IN 70 them
| Next day. however, the chief OF the village, /,
! who was a very old man, asked me as TO
the conduct OF the serpent, and when
! gave him particulars, he said:
..Isee now tits. You are wearing acharm
and the cobra made friends with you. You
saw him, Just as you say, and II you mad
not had fetch he would have bitten you -
| neither admitted nor denied, hut l
began to have faith that l was pro-
tected.
A month or so later, as the men were
running line along a creek. sat down
on the stump of a freshly cut tree 10
make to some entries in my notebook. L
had not been there above five minutes
when | felt a snake crawling over my
feet which were hoth square on the
ground / had been schooling myselI
since my first adventure, and though
INV heart went to my throat with a
lump | managed to sit quiet. AS looked
over the edge OF my book cobra S head
came into view, and its fiery eyes looked
full into mine, from q distance OF only
twelve inches There could be no mistake
| in this instance. 1t was broad daylight
and in the glare OF the sun, and l cOulu
almost count the spots and the scales. For
a minute the dreaded pest or India waved
his head from side to side, with his tongue
continually flirting out and in and thet
! fear took such possession OF me that
closed my eyes. / felt his head at my
bosom and the oGior which he eNhaleu gave
me a terrible nausea. It may have beer
two. three or five minutes that | sat ther'
with closed eyes and that serpenG wrig
Cling about and touching me here ant
| there but at length one of the men CANT
, | tramping back.
As he came within twenty feet the snake
, hissed and darted away, but the man hat
a pIain view of him. Believing that
had been bitten, he gave the alarm, and
| was weak enough to go into dead ialnt
There was no ridicule this time, ana
| thought best to exhibit my fetch and tel
the story of how | came by 1t. Tha
moved to be an un wise action on my part
, | Our native chain bearers gossiped TO TN
other natives and within week no les
| than ten persons sought to buy the charui
refused to even discuss the matter an'
the natural result was that some OF those
] who could not secure 1T by fair means ue
. ternnined to have it by foul
i, Some ten days or so after the lnclden
above related We had to survey Tor
bridge across gully. While engaged i
this work, the hour being O'Clock in tn
. afternoon, all the men crossed over to th
north side and left ME temporarily alone
l stood in the path watching them, wit
, with NV rifle leaning against a nearb
tree when Il slight noise in the thicke I d
. nv left caught my attention. l saw
moving object, but indistinctly, but as
reached for my weapon, three evil-loOkln
- natives, each armed with knife, brok
+, cover and dashed at me. l brought th
:, y gun UP and fired without taking aim, an
one of them dropped The Others coul