The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1912-02-01

country store-really a one-roomed,
windowless shanty, filed with miscel-
laneous goods. Inside, somewhere
near the closed door, lurked a rage
stricken 10-foot mamba, one Of the
most fierce and venomous snakes IN
the world; a reptile which, when at
bay, will attack a human being with
incredible fury. The man who had
aroused its ire, in his efforts to avoid
the snaR, had knocked over the
light, leaving the store in total dark
ness. The mamba, however, still
continued it's wild attack, lashing out
in all directions, while the man
crouched down, horror-stricken, ex-
pecting every moment to feel blow
and the deadly fangs buried in his
flesh.
Such was the awful predicament of
Austin Berry, who a few years ago,
was running a small Kafir store in
Natal, near a valley where syndl-
cate were prospecting for gold. One
evening, after telling his native boy
to close the store, he was sitting
outside his hut enjoying a smoke,
when suddenly the boy came rushing
up, shouting, "Baas, baas, inyoka,
umkulu, kakulu!" (Master, big, a
very big, snake!") adding that it
went into the store just as he was
about to close the door. Mr.. Berry
from the boys description of the
reptile, took it to be a young python,
able to infict severe bite, but not
venomous. Having received a fresh
supply of goods, which were lying
about the store, however, and which
would give the creature plenty OF
hiding places, Mr.. Berry thought it
better to have it out with the brute
there and then, otherwise it would
mean turning out the store next
morning to look for it.
.sSelecting good stick and taking
q lighted candle" said Mr.. Berry,
when relating his awful experience
81 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. Hear
ing a slight noise at the end OF the
store, crept toward it, and present
" saw the head of a snake appear
just above bale Of blankets, It's body
being on the other side.
81 struck at him, but as he lodged
the blow I saw that it was not
python.
Jumping back, I tripped and fell
with a crash among the tin blllles
and Kafir 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 dis
PEELED, for by the sickly smell OF
musk 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 I was fairly trapped, the
brute being between me and the
door. The extraordinary quickness
of it's movements makes the black
mamba to be dreaded; it will dodge
a blow from a stick and strike back
before it's opponent has time to re-
cover. And here was I, shut up,
through my own stupidity, with
serpent of this description, which ap-
peared to me to be about IL feet
in length"
In the hope of injuring it sufici-
emily to prevent it from springing,
Mr.. Berry caught up some weights
and hurled them at it, but this only
had the effect of still more incensing
the mamba, and it gathered itself to-
gether to attack him again. Mr.. Berry
promptly jumped up to get to the
other side of the counter, and in his
hurry he upset the candle and sent
it flying, leaving the place in total
darkness. To his dismay, he found
he had no matches in his pocket,
while the stock of matches in the
store was at the other end, with the
snake barring the road.
Just then he heard the snake with
a loud hiss, hit the thin wooden lin
ing in front of the counter as 1t
struck out in his direction. Time af-
ter time the mamba struck in all di-
rections,, kissing with rage mean
while, the thud of it's blows, sounding
loud against the wooden lining. The
unfortunate man could only crouch
there helpless in the darkness, lash
ing out wildly with his stick in the
hope that a lucky blow might reach