The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1902-11-28

send out q boats crew In search OF
sence was discovered the captain would
us. But the adventures of the night
had not yet come to an end.
The weary hours had dragged along
until nearly five o'clock wnen Rover,
who had been cuddled between us,
suddenly rose 10 HIS feet and tremb-
ling in every limb, stood pointing at
something on the farther end Of the /
raft Following his gaze We could |
dimly make out a dark round object /
like a small coil Of heavy hawser.
About a foot above it., apparently
suspended IN Che air, were two bright,
bead-like points of light that sparkled
like diamonds in the glare Of the
lightning. Rover crouched lower and
lower. the hair on his back standing up
like bristles Then with a long, low
whining cry he sprang quickly away
from us toward those mysterious
points of light. Another vivid flash
lighted I'D for a moment the raft and
IT'S surroundings, and showed us our
dog almost within striking distance Of
a huge python.
Our warning cry as we sprang to our
feet seemed to break the spell that
bound him, for, with an agonized
howl Rover swerved to one side and
sprang far out into the river. Where
he sank the water was churned into
foam by the lashing tails of the alli-
gators as they fought over their prey
Then the ripples gradually died away,
and a few flakes of blood-red foam
were the only traces left of the trag-
, edy.
,, We fell back on the raft overcome
with terror at the poor dogs fate;
10 but a strange fascination compelled
us to turn our gaze on the hideous
and dangerous reptile that had forced
: its companionship upon us. There il
= Law, coiled up on the logs not more
than fifteen feet from us, its small fla
: head reared above the huge coil, anC
. waving to and fro with rhythmic mo
y ton that seemed almost to hypnotic
lis. 1t was only by strong effort 0
y, will-power that we at last averted GU
- ewes. and turned to look about us.
The lightning that had revealed on
:, grim companion must have been tn
" last flash OF the storm, for the cloud
?, had cleared away the stars had com
~ out and were already beginning to pal
- before the advancing light of dawn.
y, With lightened hearts we turne
IL again to look at the python and foun,
to our horror, that he had moved U
NC nearer to us. He was nearly ten fet
"' in length. and at least nine incht
~ through the thickeet part Of his bod
II Unarmed, we were no match for hir
VI In our rear were the river and Il
7i' alligators; we could retreat no farth
~ unless we wished to share the ia
- of poor Rover.
9f So overcome were we by sense
our helplessness and the horror OF t
- situation that l believe If the pyth
- had advanced any nearer, we shou
I'd have jumped from the raft to be to
bIo to pieces by the alligators. But il
80 then we heard a loud shouting, a
al looking downstream we saw l
on tive fishing boat, manned by crew
,T,, Withholding, half-naked Burma
80 Swimming toward us under the
~ pulse of a half a dozen long, padd
shaped sweeps.
and We would have welcomed anyth
fol in the shape of a rescue party, e.
isns had we known them to be Gambia
, of and as the boat grated alongside
was raft, we sprang forward with the
lies tention Of boarding her at once
rails we started back in alarm as the
the thon glided up to the boat and
tur- over the gunwale into the 9ternshe
YES. The men, instead of showing any 1
nro- seemed to rejoice in the advent OF
t of strange passenger; and it was only
Dodv ter a protracted welcome to his sn;
start ship that they again turned their
n Of tention to us.
In pidgin- English the men at
after helm invited us to get in and go as
lrns. with them to their village, which
less now plainly in sight among the
the on the farther bank But the |
4 the ence Of the snake, and the Ion
again greedy looks the men cast on our
lshed made us hesitate, and as we hung
ath- hearty British cheer startled us,
came we turned round Just in time to 6
very the gunwale of cur gig and steady
and alongside. Then the boatswain
g the four others of our shipmates tun
nut to on the raft and fairly Rugged I
wv us their joy at finding us alive and
If the NH ro,,rv,ave bod cbOved' off