Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-13

which something had got 10 be done. A
aght was out OF the question, it was too
hot for violent exercise.
Look here. you fellows" said Towns
end Il can prove that you're all wrong"
Then he did what no other man in that
bungalow ever dId-went into his room
without a light, and commenced furbling
about on the table for a paper. We heard
a sharp cry--half anger. half fear; and the
next instant he dsrted out on the versndah
I've been struck on the arm by a shake, -
he gssped.
Bell reached down the swinging lantern,
and We explored for the trail OF the SER
pent.
Here about the cuff" said Townsend.
And there right enough on the starch
stirened cuff. half an inch from his 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 interviewed
the snake with light and couple 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 karait, most
feared OF all snakes by the natives. They
say that IL a man looks steadily for a long
time into the eve OF a KARAT he will go
stark, staring mad. The eye is small. red.
and perfectly devoid Of expression
Later on my companions went to other
I parts.
Each evening I killed an hour or so OF
the monotony by walking up and down the
| path in front Of the bungalow. A big cat
| was my usual companion. His method Oi
! introducing himself TO my notice wss gen
orally abrupt He would lie IN wait and
as came along spring out upon me- alighi
ing against one of my legs. At other times
| he would lie on his back in the path anC
claw at my feet as passed.
One evening Just after turning ihto tn
path from the bungalow l felt something
soft and yielding against my foot Thinkini
il was Billy ! gave the mass a gentl
push. As | shifted the something saw
a twisting gleam of white. not at all lik
the soft gray OF "Billys" fur. OF course
knew what that meant Jumping back
brought down my walking stick on tn
twisting thing and yelled for light. Th
servants came running from the cook hous
with a lantern, and | saw that | had lai
out a most villsinous dabois. One toucl
from the cat-like fangs on my cotton hose
instep, and within an hour I would hav
been dead.
One Of our party had occasion 10 visit
Mr. Savage, a half-eAste land owner on tn
other side OF the island. He went in
boat: and while the coolies were bringn
up his traps, went up to the bungalov
) He vas sitting in big chair on the verar
dab. talking TO Savage, when he felt some
thing drop from the lsat-roof on hi
shoulder. Leisurely he started TO rise I
see what had fallen, when the other ma
cried out, For Gods sake don't move
keep Ierfectly sull," Dunlop knew whs
that meant.
stealthily the old man took a Burnes
dah Sword from the wall. and. eat-lik
crept toward the white man with the thin
On his shoulder. Within striking distanc
he paused. and raised the dab high in a
70 cut the hing in two with enc swift 6owr
ward stroke. Then his nerve. ratified an
: tugged al for sixty years until IL was weaI
5 failed him, and the sword elattered from b
numbed fingers 20 the aoor.
: My God, / can't do it," he vhined.
5 broken voice; and reeled back against q
wall, where he stood staring with weak eye
at the sahib and his burden.
Dunlop neither moved nor spoke: his on
safety lay in keeping perfectly still-m'
tionless- II might be minutes, or
thousand years; they would have 10 wa
till the bostmen came. What would happs
then be could not say. He could feel Il
! clinging, pulling thing on his rig
shoulder. There was an undulating pre-
sure that told him the head OF the snail
vas s~sying back and forth Just abO'
his neck.
Then the song OF the Msdrassi boatm.
as they came swinging along with his lu
gage broke upon his ear. Those gi
, | thiekened voices esrroling the coarse r
frain 10 the time OF the measured tr
were angel voices. What would the muddl
Drained coolies do. be wondered. II En-
Ally, his trusted servant, saw the thisg