Year: 1867

! looked at my neighbor with considerable
curiosity. His face indicated man of not
only thirty years, period at which men are
still young; but his hair was as white as
fresh-fallen snow. One seldom secs even on
the heads of the Oldest men, hair of such
immaculate whiteness. He sat by my side
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 rudeness of
which ! was ashamed. ! was about to say
words of apology, when he quietly remarked:


Don't mention II, sir; I'm used TO It."
/ The fnnkness of this observation pleased
me, and in a very little time we were con-
versing on terms Of familiar acquaintanship;
and before long he told me the whole story.


81 was soldier in the army of India"
said he, and as is often the case with the SOL
diers, ! was little too fond of liquor. One
day got drunk and was shut up in the black
hole for it. / slumped down upon the floor
of the dungeon, and was just dropping off
to sleep, when | felt a cold, slimy shape
crawling across my right hand as it lay
stretched out before my head on tho floor.
| knew at once what 1t was-a snake or
course my first impulse was to draw away
my. hand; but knowing that if did SO the
poisonous reptile would probably strike its
fapgs into me, ! lay still, with my heart beat
ing in my breast like trip hammer. OF
course my fright sobered me instantly. !
realized all my peril in its fullest extent. O.,
how lamented the hour that touched Ii
quori in every glass of liquor they say
there is a serpent but it does not come in
the shape it came to me. With slow un-
dulating motion the reptile dragged its car
cass across my face, inch by inch, and crept
down over my breast and thrust its head in
side my jacket. As felt the hidevus scra-
ping OF the Shiny body over my cheeks it
was only by the most tremendous effort that
! succeeded in restraining myself from Yell
ing loudly with mingled terror and disgust.
At last felt the tail wriggling down to-
wards my chin but imagine what felt at
heart, if you can imagine it, as | realized
thai the dreadful creature had coiled itself
up under my jacket as lay, and had seem-
ingly gone to sleep, for it was as still as death.
EvideHtly it had no idea that was human
creature; if it had it would never have act
ed in this manner. All snakes are, ,cowardly,
and they will not approach man unless to
strike him in self-defense. Three hours lay
|
minute was like an hour TO me-like a year.
seemed to have lived lifetime in that brief
space. Every incident Of my life passed
across my memory in rapid succession, as
they say in the case with drowning man. !
thought Of my mother, away in old England;
my happy home by the Avon my Mary,
the girl loved, ard neyer expected to zee
them more.


For, no matter how long | bore this, + felt
that it would end in death at last. i lay as
lrigid es a corpse, scarcely daring even Ia
breathe, and all the time my breast was grow
ing colder and colder where the snake vas
lying against it, with nothing but thin cot
ton shirt between my skin and its knew
| II stirred it would strike; but felt that
could not bear this much longer. Eyen if
succeeded in lying still until the guard came,
expected his opening the door and coming
in would be my death warrant all ihe same,


for no doubt the reptile would see that was
man as soon as the light should be let in al
the door. At last beard footsteps approach.
ing. There was rafting at the lock. II
was the guard. He opened the door. The
snake-the cobra di capelio, now saw-dart.
ing up its huge hooded head, with the hide.
ous rings around its eyes, as If about TO strike


I shut my eyes, ard murmpTed a prayer.-
Then ii glided away with syil motion, and
disappeared in the darkness. | staggered tc
my feet and fell syooning into the arms o.


the guard. For weeks after was very sick
and when able TO be about fonnd my hail
as white as you now see 1t. have not touch
ed drop Of liquor since.