Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-10-24

r,ova the tents I'D to where L was mat
afternoon. Left alone in the jungle, had
stroled to an open space on hlilsluo
leading I'D to the ghauts and seated my
self on the ground in the shade OF the
teak tree. 1t would be three hours at
best before the syce could return; lt'"aS
too hot 20 beat about in the jungle SO,
having eaten the luncheon that hau
brought. | stretched myself on my Ddct
In a position where by opening my eyes
could see my horse feeding on the slope
beIow me. and soon dropped Off 10 Sleep
II was not a prudent thing 10 do alone IN
a Jungle where a tiger or leopard might
give the sleeper an ugly awakening, but
had met with no disaster in hVe years
hunting and was over-conhdent, and DC
sides | relied on my horse to give warn
ing by his behavior of any danger that
might threaten from wild beasts
81 had slept, perhaps, half hour when
7 was Weakened by q sound that recos-
nized with dread-the angry hiss OF q
cobra close at hand. Without moving L
opened my eyes. 1t was an immense
king cobra that had Kissed, and from
his coil between me and the tree ne had
ON the instant in which / beheld him
struck his fangs deep into the neck OF /"
turbaued native who, crouching win tut
war in hand, had started toward me lroii
the other side OF the tree trunk.
"Behind this native was second enc
holding with both hands strong sllken
cord. With the snake hanging py lne
fangs 10 his neck, the foremost native
etaSoered 10 his feet, struck out wildly
with his tulwar dropped the weapon to
tear the snake from his neck with his
hands. then, with his dark face sooty
male and CHASTITY with fear, turned and
ran after his companion, VINO had neu.
I knew by the looks of the men that they
were criminals, and the manner OF iher
coming upon me was proof sufficient or
their bad intentions. / had at the nrst
sight Of the men grasped my rine ana
Jumped to my feet. L stepped 10 one
side, safely away from the snake, ana
sent two bullets after the foremost ma
tive The second bullet broke his leg
below the knee and he fell. The other
man. who had been struck by the SNAKE
tumbled a second later, and lay strug-
Cling unable to rise
"The snake was writing In TWO pieces
his body having been cut entirely through
a third OF the way back from the nean'
nv a blow of the tulwar. The part WITH
fine head. its hood full spread, was snap
ming yiciously now in the direction IN
which 1 stood. / ended the life or t.at
part of the snake with long SUCK thaI
CHANGED TO lie at hand. and then. having
reloaded. my rifle, went TO where the
wounded native was trying TO creep away
through the underground. He surreE-
dered, and at my command crawled back
10 the tree. The native whom the cobra
had struck was dying as we passed h,n'
and he was dead when my friends came
to me I'm the course OF an hour after.
The great quantity or poison from so
large a snake, sent into so vital point
as the neck, had killed him almost as
suddenly as a dose of prussic acid would
have done.
MY prisoner and the dead native as
had suspected. proved TO be Thugs. ana
both had been set free from prison Dy
the mutineers at the time OF Sepoy re-
bellion. The prisoner confessed that they
had stolen up under cover or the tree
trunk 10 strike me in my sleep, and theh
strange me with the cord after the
fashion enjoined by their murderous re-
lieion IL was the presence OF tne hips
cobra that saved me. What had drawn
the serpent TO the place is more than
can explain--but there is little doubt tnat
a slight movement on my part at any
time before / was awakened by the Mss
would have brought on ma the tse o.
the Thug that was bitten: