The Savannah morning news., 1901-02-10
INTo rE pAn1Boo MOOSE

ing one of the bamboos. and. observing
my approach, kept his end of the rope
pretty taut. Even now / shudder as l
think how close he came to my foot.
He was kept for long time in a big
box, and we fed him generously on chick
ens-too generously, for he died; and Gay
lard, Barnum's man in the East, told me
that we had overfed him.
When we brought the python in, the
evening of his capture, Ramia an Ooriah
felt called upon to tell me a little of the
habits of these big creatures
He had known a python once. many
yards in length it was, who had a tooth
for fish. He would go to a large pond.
twist his tail around a tree on one side
stretch his body across, grasp a tree on
the other side with his teeth, and, swing
ing his body like a hammock back and
forth, throw all the water out upon the
land Then, you see, he ate the fish.
Rama watched my face narrowly when
he had finished, and, seeing that 1 be-
lieved, told me a second Ooriah tale An
other snake preferred deer and game of
sorts. He bent down trees and vines, and
made two converging stockade-like fences.
running far out into the jungle. Then he
went out and beat up the surrounding
country. When he had got everything on
the run. he drove them into his funnel
like corral, and caught them down al the
small end. 1 tried to believe this also,
for Ramias sake. but he told me no more.
There were, also close calls in that
place.
We were sitting on the veranda one
evening, and, like men who are bottled
up together, speedily got into a virulent
argument over something that had hap
pened in America Three of US were in
pajamas, the usual evening dress; while
Townsend, who had just come down from
Akyab had only taken his coat off, and
was wearing a shirt with starched cuffs
This was a trivial thing and we rather
felt the innovation, but it had much to
do with the subsequent events.
The argument had reached that point
at which something had got to be done.
A fight was out of the question; it was
too hot for violent exercise.
Look here, you fellowsr said Towns
end, Il can prove that you're all wrong.
Then he did what no other man in the
bungalow ever did-went into his room
without a light, and commenced fumbling
about on the table for a paper We
heard a sharp cry, half anger half fear;
and the next instant he darted out on the
verandah. 1--WE been struck on the arm
by a snake" he gasped.
Bell reached down the swinging lantern
and we explored for the trail of the SER
pent.
Here. about the cuff" said Towns
end. And there. right enough on the
starch-stiffened cuff, half am inch from the
wrist, were two little pin-like pricks,
with a greenish-yellow circling them
where the poison had dried into the linen.
That was all; there was no mark on the
arm-not a scratch. We went in and in
terviewed the snake with q light and
Acouple of sticks. He was lying coiled up
on a small inclined hand mirror which
stood on the table. AS Townsend reached
for the paper the snake had struck. II
was a KARAT most feared Of ell snakes
by the natives They say that If man
looks steadily for a long time into the
eye of a KARAT, he will go stark, staring
mad. The eye is small, red, and perfectly
devoid of expression.
.
Later on my companion went to other
parts.
Each evening killed an hour or so of
the monotony by walking up and down
the path in front of the bungalow. big
cat was my usual companion. His meth
Cd of introducing himself 10 my notice
was generally abrupt. He would lie In
wait, and as 1 came along, spring out
upon me, alighting against one of my
legs. AT OIneT times ne WOhi SIC Oh MS
back in tho path and claw. at my feet as
l passed.
one evening, just after turning into the
path from the bungalow, l felt something
soft and yielding against my foot. Think
ing ii was Billy" l gave the mass gen.
lie push. As ! shifted the something,
saw twisting CLEAN Of white, not at all
like the soft gray of Billy's fur. OF
course knew what that meant. Jumping
back l brought down my walking stick
on the twisting thing, and yelled for
Iisht. The servants came running from
the cook house with a lantern, and saw
that l had laid out a most vilianous da-
boia. one touch from the cat-like fangs
on my cotton-hosed instep, and within an
hour 1 would have been dead.
one OF our party had occasion to visit
a Mr.. Savage, half-caste land owner on
the other side OF the island. He went IN
a boat and while the coolies were bring
ing up his traps, went up 10 the bungalow.
Tie was sitting IN a big chair on the We
randall. taking 10 savage. when he felt
sonnet hing drop from tho leaf-roof on his
shoulder Lcisurely he started TO rise 10