The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1908-06-05

Looking at map of Natal and fol-
lowing the course of the Tugela River
from its mouth, you will see a small
tributary marked Insult River, which
has its source in the N'Kankhla
Mountains, Zululand. This river fol-
lows very tortuous course as it
PUSHES to join the Tugela, and is fed
by numerous streams which dash
down the mountain sides in water
falls and cascades, cutting down
through the rocks and forming long
spurs with gorges hundreds of feet
deep between.
Some years ago was running a
Kaffir store, which was situated on
the slope of one of the long spurs
aforementioned, overlooking the
NKuzana stream. At the time of
which I am speaking there were a
good many prospectors in the valley,
and syndicate was working claims
up the N'Kuzana stream. Besides
trading with the natives l did a fairly
good business with these plucky pio-
neers of civilization.
Game was pretty plentiful, and also
snakes; more salubrious region for
these creatures / was never in. l
had an instructive feeling of repug-
nance for snakes, and never passed
one without at least trying to kill it.
One evening, after telling the UNI
faan (native lad to close the store,
I was sitting outside my wattle-and-
daub hut enjoying smoke, when
suddenly the boy came rushing up,
shouting, "Baas, baas, inyoka UNI
kulu, kakulu!" master, a big-a
very big-snake,) Springing to my
feet, asked him where it had gone
and what kind of a snake it was. He
replied that it was too dark to see,
but it was very large; he had seen it
go into the store just as he was about
to close the door.
''All right" l said, "go and shut
the store up now"
But the lad remained where he
was, shaking with fright, and it was
obvious that he dare not go near the
place while that snake remained in
side.
My other boys" had been sent
away ON errands in the morning, and
had not returned. At first l thought
would leave the snake until the
morning, but remembering that had
Just received a fresh supply of goods
which were lying about the store and
would give the creature plenty of
hiding places, l thought it better to
have it out with the brute there and
then, otherwise it would mean turn
ing the store inside out next morning
to look for it. From the boys de-
scription | took it to be a young py-
thon, able to infiict a severe bite, but
| not venomous.
Selecting good stick and taking
lighted candle with ME, l went to
the store, slipped quietly in, and
closed the door behind me. Placing
the candle on the counter, / looked
around in the dim light. Hearing a
slight noise at the end of the store
crept towards it, and presently saw
the head of snake appear just above
a bale of blankets, its body being on
! the other side. l struck at him, but
| as he lodged the blow | saw that it
was not python. Jumping back l
! tripped and fell with a crash among
the tin-billies and Kaffir-pots. In
falling ! saw a Kissing streak of
black, which struck at me as it
flashed past and made for the door.
Any doubts ! had as to the kind of
/ snake it was were now dispelled, for
by the sickly smell of musk l knew
the creature was black mamba, and
the largest Of its kind had ever seen.
Heartily I cursed myself for my
folly in not bringing my shotgun with
me, for now was fairly trapped, the
brute being between me and the
door. The black mamba, / may men.
ton, is one of the most dangerous oil
deadly snakes, for, besides the viru.
lence of its venom, it is very fero-
eious, and when at bay will attack q
human being with incredible fury.
Thl extraordinary quickness Of its
movements makes it still more to be
dreaded; it will dodge blow from &
stick and strike back before its op
! ponent has time to recover. AnC
here was l, shut up, through my OWL
stupidity, with serpent of this de
scription, which appeared to me to b.
about twelve feet in length.
/ Meanwhile the brute, finding it
retreat cut off, turned toward nj
again; / could see its evil looking
eyes scintillating in the dim light o
the candle. caught up som
weights and hurled them at it, in tn
hope of injuring it sufficiently to sto
IL from Swinging hut this only ha