Year: 1867

siderable curiosity. His face indicat-
ed man of not over thirty years-a
period at which men are still Young;
but his hair was as white as fresh fall
en- snow. One seldom sees even on
the heads of the oldest men, hair of
such imaculate whiteness. He sat by
my side in a car of the Great Western
Railroad, in Canada, and was looking
out at the window. Suddenly turning
his head he caught me in the act of
staring at him-a rudeness of which |
was ashamed. I was about to say
some words Of apology; when he quiet
| ly remarked:


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


The frankness Of this observation
pleased me, and in a very little while
we were conversing on terms of fa-
mlliar acquaintaneeship; and before
long he told me the whole story.


Il was soldier in the army of
India" said he, "and as is often the
case with soldiers, I was little too
fond of good liquor. One day I got
drunk and was put in the black hole
for it. [ slumped down upon the
floor of the dungeon, and I was just
dropping off to sleep, when I felt
cold, Shiny shape, crawling across my
right hand as it lay stretched out
above my head On the floor. | knew
at once what it was-a snakel Of
course my first impulse was to draw
away my hand; but knowing that if I
did SO the poisonous reptile would
probably strike its fangs into me, l
lay still with my heart beating in my
breast like trip hammer. OF course
my fright sobered me in an Instant
L realized my peril to the fullest ex-
tent. o, how l lamented the hour
that [ had touched liquor! In every
glass of fliquor they say there is a SER
pent; but it does not come to every
one as it did 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 on
ly by the most tremendous effort that [
succeeded in restraining myself from
yelling loudly with mingled terror and
disgust. At last felt the tail wiggling
down towards my chin; but imagine
what I felt at heart, if you can imagine
it, as [ realized that the dreadful
creature had coiled itself up under my
jacket as lay and had seemingly
gone to sleep, for it was still as death.
Evidently it had no idea that l was
human creature; if it had it would
never have acted in this manner. All
snakes are cowardly, and they will
not approach man unless to strike
him in self defense. Three hours [
lay with that dreadful weight in my
| bosom, and each minute was like an
hour to me-like a year seemed
to have lived a lifetime in that brief
space. Every incident of my life
passed across my memory in rapid
succession, as they say is the case with
drowning men. [ thought of my
mother, away in old England; of
my happy home by the borders of the
Avon; my Mary, the girl | loved,-
and never expected to see them more.
For no matter. how long | bore this,
| felt that it would end in death at


last. I lay as rigid as corpse, scar
cely daring even to breathe; and all
the time my breast was growing cold
er where the snake lay against it,
with nothing but thin cotton shirt


between my skin and its. l knew if


| stirred, it would strike; but felt [
could not bear this much longer. Even


if | succeeded in lying still until the


guard anne, l expected that his


opening the door and coming in would


be my death warrant all the same !;
for no doubt the reptile would see


that ] was a man, as soon as the light
should be let in at the door. At last
l he ard footsteps approaching


There was a.rattling at the lock. 1t
; was the guard. He opened the door.
The snake-a cobra di capeLLo now
saw-darted up its huge hooded
head, with the hideous rings around


its eyes, as if about to strike. | shut
my eyes, and murmured prayer
Then it glided away with swift mo-
> ton, and disappeared in the dark.
.. ness. | staggered to my feet, and
: fell swooning into the arms of the
! guard. For weeks after was very


sick; and when l was able to be
. about, l found my hair as white as
: you now see it. | have never touched
a drop of liquor since."-Wm. Wsr1
!, Skies.