Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-14

Of its body was twisted into coils so will
only say that It was by far the most enor
nous snake that / have ever seen. IL is
true that ! have heard of such reptiles In
different parts of Africa, but hitherto
had always put them down as fabulous crea-
lures transformed into and worshiped as
local gods. Also this particular specimen
was, ! presume, of new variety, since.
according TO Ragnall, II both struck like the
cobra the adder and crushed like the
boa constructor, IT is possible however,
that he was mistaken on this point | do
not know, since ] had no time, or, indeed.
inclination. to examine its head for the
poison fangs. and when next l passed that
way II was gone
! shall never forget the stencil OF that
cave II was horrible. which is not to be
wondered at seeing that probably this crea-
ture had dwelt there for centuries. since
theIs large snakes are said to be as long
lived as tortoses, and. being sacred, of
course, II had never lacked for food Every
where lay piles of cast bones, among one
of which | noticed fragments of a human
skull, perhaps that of poor Savage. Also
the projecting rocks in the place were COW
cred with great pieces OF snake skin, doubt
less rubbed Off by the reptile when once a
year IL changed its coat.
For while we gazed at the loathsome
and still glittering creature, then pushed
on fearful lest we should stumble upon more
of its kind. | suppose that It must have
been solitary. n kind of serpent rogue as
Jana was an elephant rogue for we met
none. and, il the information which | OBJ
tained afterward may be believed, there
was no species at all resembling it in the
country. What its origin may have been
never learned. All that the Kendah could
or would say about It was that Il had lived
in this hole from the beginning. and that
Black Kendall prisoners. or malefactors
were sometimes given TO It to kill. as White
kendah prisoners were given to jana
The cave itself proved TO be not very
long. perhaps one hundred and fifty feet no
more. 1t was not an artificial but natural
hollow in the lava rock. which [ suppose
had once been blown through it by an out
burst of steam. Toward the further end
It narrowed so much that / began to fear
there might be no exit In this | was
mistaken. however. for at its termina ton
we found a hole just large enough for a
man to walk in upright and so difficult 10
climb through that II became clear to us
| that certainly this was not the path by
which tho white Kendall approached their
sanctuary.
Scrambling out OF this aperture with
| thankfulness, we found ourselves upon the
| slope of a kind Of huge ditch of lava which
ran first downward for about eighty PAGES
| then up again to the base of the great cone
of the inner mountain, which was covered
| with dense forest.
We climbed down to the bottom of the
| ditch that from its general appearance
might have been dug out by some giant race
| as a protection to their stronghold and m
| its further side to where the forest began or
| deep and fertile soil. why there should
| have been rich earth here and none i'm the
| ditch is more than we could guess, but per.
| haps the presence of springs Of water in
| this part of the mount may have been a
| cause At any rate 1t was So
CONTINUED TOMORROW