Year: 1867

A Terrible BedtellowI y


looked at my neighbor with consider
able curiosity. His face indicated a man
OF not over thirty years-a period at which
men are still young-but his hair WAS as
white as fresh fallen snow. One seldom
sees even on the heads of the oldest men,
hair OF such immaculate whiteness. lie
sat by my siie in car of the Great
Western Railroad, in Canada, and was
looking out of the window. Suddenly
turning his head he caught me in the act
OF staring at him-a rudencss of which [
was ashamed. l was about to say words
of apology, when he quietly remarked:-


"Don't mention it, sir. am used to
it."


The frankncss of the observation pleased
me and in a very little willie we were
cnnversing on terms of familiar ncquaint-
anccsbip, and before long he told Inc the
whole story.


~ was II soldier in the army Of India"
said he "and, ms often is the case with
soldiers, was little too fond of liquor.
One day got drunk, md was shut up in
the black hole for it. slumpeI down
upon the floor of the dungeon, and was
ust dropping off to sleep when | felt
cold, Shiny shape crawling across my right
hand us it lay stretched out above my
head on the floor. | knew at once what
it was-a snake OF course my first
impulse was to draw away my hand but
knowing that if | did so, the poisonous
reptile would probably strike it, fargs into
me, | lay still with my heart beating in
my brea-, like trip hammer OF course
my fright sobereJ me instantly. l rea lized
all my peril in the fullest extent Oh, how
| lamcnted the hour that had touched
liquor ! IN every glass Of liquor there i,
serpent but it does not come to every
body in the shape it came to me. With
slow, undulating motion, the reptile
dragged its carcass across my face, inch
by inch, and crept down over my breast,
and thrust its head inside my jacket. AS
| felt the hideous scraping of the Shiny
body over my cheeks it was only by the
most tremendous effort that | succeeded
in restraining myself from yelling loudly
with mingled terror and disgust. AT last
felt the tail wrigaling down towards my
chin; but imagine what | felt AT my heart
if you can imagine it, as | realized that
the dreadful creature had coiled itself up
under my jacket as lay. and had seem
ingly gore TO sleep, for i; was as still as
death. Evidently it had no idea that
was human creature: if it had it would
not have acted that way. All snakes are
cowardly, and they will not approach a
man unless To strike him in sell-defcncc.


"T hree hours | lay with that dreadful
weight on my bosom, and each minute
was IKE an hour to me-like year. |
seemed TO have lived a lifetime in that
brief space. Every incident of my life
passed through my memory in rapid sue
cession, as they say is the case with
drowning man. l though Of my mother,
away in old England; my happy home
by the Avon; my Mary, the girl loved,
and never expected 10 see them moro.
For no matter how long bore this, felt
that it would end in death at last. | lay
as rigid n. corps, scarcely daring TO
oic"ih, anu All tHc "ilic uly uTtdst wis
growing colder and colder where the snake
was lying against it, with nothing but
thin cotton shirt between my skin and it's
| knew that if stirred it would strike,
but could not bear this much longer.
Even if lay still until the guard came,
expected his opening the door and coming
in would be my death warrant all the
same; for no doubt the reptile would see
that was man as soon as the light was
let in the door. At last heard footsteps
approaching There was rattling at the
lcck. 1t was the guard. He opened the
door. The snake-a cobra h cdpeRa, I
now saw-darted up its hugh hooded head
with the hideous rings around its eyes, as
if about TO strike. shut nv eyes. .and
murmured prayer. Then il q ded away
with swift motion and disappeared in
the darkness I staggered TO my feet and
tell swooning in the arms of the guard.
For weeks after l was very sick, and
when ! was able TO be about found my
hair was as white as you now see it.
have not touched drop of liquor since"


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