_ CHAPTER XL. DEATH OF THE BURGLAR BY THE SNAKE
The struggle that was going on in our room did not prevent me--as I lay upon the floor, too exhausted and faint to assist the ruffian who called himself Pete Hurley's friend--from glancing towards Fred, to see how he fared. He appeared to be in the same condition as myself, and was lying upon his side, almost motionless; but his eyes were riveted upon the horrible contortions of the snake, as the ruffian, a powerfully built man, strove to tear off the coils which bound him with fetters that were like steel.
The man's cries and oaths were fierce, but uttered in a gasping tone, as though his very life was being pressed out. Three coils were around him, and each moment I thought that I could see them gradually tighten, but still the resistance of the victim was none the less powerful.
He grasped the snake around the body, and strove, with his powerful hands, to make it yield its death hug; but his efforts seemed to have no more effect than if he had clinched a bar of iron, or a young sapling. Around they went--the snake with his head upon the floor, his eyes flashing fire, and his mouth expanding, and tongue darting back and forth, and seeming to enjoy the night's adventure as one that was unexpected as well as gratifying.
I saw the ruffian make desperate attempts to reach his knife, which was in his belt; but the coils around him prevented, and in their extremity they turned and staggered around the store, upsetting barrels and boxes, yet all the time I saw that the reptile had the advantage, and could, with a slight exertion of strength, drive his antagonist whither he pleased.
I was as much fascinated with the fight, as I had been with the eyes of the snake, and did not move hand or foot to assist the robber. Even if a shot would have put an end to the combat, I did not dare to fire it, for fear of killing the man; and as for approaching to use our knives, the bare thought was enough to cause a shudder, for the snake managed to keep his head towards us, and with expanded mouth and glistening lungs, appeared to warn us that the fight was a fair one, and that he would brook no interference.
At length I saw the struggling wretch grasp the tail of the reptile with one hand, and seek to unwind the folds that bound him. As well might he have attempted to bend or loosen bars of iron, for with a slight effort the snake freed that portion of his body, and raising his head, hissed, as though with scorn, at the effort of the poor mortal.
The ruffian was not daunted, although a fierce imprecation escaped his lips, as the animal raised his head, and seemed disposed to accomplish the destruction of his antagonist without further delay.
Again did he struggle to get at his knife, and this time, owing to a slight relaxation of the coils around his body, he was successful. I saw the glittering steel flourished in the air, and I saw by the sudden contraction of the serpent's folds, that it was aware that a battle of life and death was now to take place between them.
"Die, d---- you--die," yelled the man, cutting with his knife at various parts of the snake's body.
I saw the hot blood spirt from the wounds, and cover the floor, and I saw that the snake's eyes grew more brilliant than ever, and that he was gradually bringing his head on a level with the face of his antagonist, as though to bite and disfigure his countenance.
Again the keen knife descended, and this time struck deep, for the wounded animal, with a convulsive spring, overturned the ruffian, and together they rolled upon the floor.
I could hear the hard breathing of the man, and I could tell every time that his knife struck home, by a peculiar hiss that escaped the snake. It was like the sudden escape of steam.
"We must now lend some assistance to the poor wretch," said Fred, suddenly starting to his feet, knife in hand. "Do you hold the light, so that I can see where to strike."
"Help me or I die," yelled the ruffian, whose strength began to fail; and he called none too soon, for in spite of his desperate efforts with his knife, the monster had struck one blow, with his fangs, upon his face, and was about to repeat it, as we drew near, light in hand.
The snake raised its head, and shook it menacingly, us we approached. The huge mouth opened, and the quivering tongue darted back and forth, as though warning us not to interfere with what did not concern us; but in spite of its threatening attitude, Fred directed a blow at its head, and the keen steel made a large wound near the reptile's neck.
The hot blood gushed from the wound in torrents; a few drops fell upon my hand, and burned the flesh as though seared with a heated iron.
I saw that the folds of the serpent were gradually relaxing, as though tired of the unequal contest, and the sight gave us renewed courage. Again and again did Fred flesh his steel, and each blow that was struck told upon the life of the monster, and at last, with a convulsive shudder, the tail was uncoiled, straightened out, and with a long-drawn sigh the snake expired.
We did not delay a moment, but went to the assistance of the wounded man. He was covered with blood and slime, and a frightful wound was upon his face, where the fangs of the reptile had struck. He was breathing, but very faintly; so we lost not a moment in placing to his mouth a cup of wine that we fortunately had saved from our supply obtained at Melbourne. The liquor seemed to revive him, for he opened his eyes, and made a desperate effort to speak.
"How fares it with you?" asked Fred.
"The d----d snake has made a finish of me, I believe," he gasped, placing one hand upon his side, as though the effort to speak had caused excruciating pain in that region of his body. "Blast his pictur, how he hugged me!"
"Take another drink of wine," returned Fred, "and then rest until morning, and we will see what can be done for you."
"By morning, mates, I shall be at rest--never fear. A man can't have his heart squeezed into his mouth, and hope to live. But I'm darn glad that I killed the black scoundrel. He'll never _purcel_ another sailor with his bloody tail."
"Let us make an examination, and see how much you are wounded," I said, proceeding to strip off his shirt.
"Avast there, shipmate," he cried, in a more feeble voice; "I'm going fast, so don't disturb me."
"But there may be hope--we will run for a physician."
"Of what use would the old sawbones be? Haven't I already been tortured enough? Besides, I've no money to pay for a visit."
"We will attend to that part of the duty," rejoined Fred.
"You will?" demanded the wounded man, in astonishment.
"To be sure."
"Well, all I've got to say is, I'm sorry that I attempted to revenge old Burley's wrongs, and if I could live he might fight for himself--I wouldn't."
"Did the man you call Burley hire you to redress his fancied wrongs?" Fred asked.
"He told me that you both had money, and that if I was a mind to, I could make myself rich, and pay you up for his wound in the hip."
"I'm going," he gasped, at length, "and I feel sorry for my past crimes. Do you believe that there is a hell where sinners burn forever and ever? Forgive me. I should have murdered you both had it not been for that d----d snake. I crept under the canvas while you were at supper, and while waiting for you to retire, I fell asleep. I am glad that I didn't kill--. D---- the sn----"
There was a gasping in the man's throat, and with a slight struggle his breath departed, and his soul flew up to God to be judged, and treated according to the crimes which were recorded against his name.
"What's to be done?" asked Fred, when he found that the robber's heart ceased to beat.
"We can do nothing until daylight. Let us go back to bed and try and sleep."
"And wake up and find a snake for a bedfellow? No, I feel that I shall not sleep again for a month. I am almost ready to declare that I will not stop another day at Ballarat, or in Australia. We have met with nothing but dangers since our landing, and it seems that on each occasion our lives have been spared as by a miracle."
"I can feel only too grateful that they are spared, without questioning the means," I replied. "Whether a gracious Providence, or our shrewdness, has prevented us from being food for worms, is a subject we will not discuss."
"But I feel tired of this kind of life," Fred said, as he seated himself upon his bed and looked around the floor, covered with blood, and the bodies of the huge snake and the dead man. "A few weeks ago there was nothing that I liked so well as an adventure, but now I am surfeited, and would fain enjoy a respite. A few weeks of inactivity would not come amiss, for ever since we have been on the island we have seen nothing, heard of nothing, but blood. I am sick of it."
"Well?" I inquired, anxiously.
"I will adhere to the vow that I took before leaving California. We swore then never to desert each other, either in sickness or in health. Until you are content to leave Australia, I remain. That is settled upon."
We shook hands, and bound the bargain, and as we did so, the light that had wavered and flickered, and revealed the desperate fight, between the robber and the snake, suddenly died out, and left us in darkness.
And then we heard gentle steps upon the floor, and a snuffing, as though some animal was pawing over the bodies, and while we were listening to discover who our new visitor was, I felt something cold touch my hand, and I started in alarm; but my fears quickly vanished, for I found that Rover had recovered from his fright, and had come back in search of his master. The poor dog! I could not blame him for deserting us, considering the character of our late visitor.
The brute curled down beside us, and sat and listened to our conversation through the night, but during that period his ears were raised as though waiting a repetition of the sound that had alarmed him hours before.
"I saw you move your hand towards your revolver," I said, addressing Fred; "why did you not use it before the snake attacked the poor fellow?"
"Because, while looking at the monster, a feeling came over me that I cannot at this moment account for. I had regarded the snake with the utmost dread and abhorrence, until all at once I thought that I did not appear to look upon him with the same disgust, and the longer that I gazed, the more fascinated I became, and I could not have harmed the reptile, had my life depended upon my actions."
It was singular, but his feelings were the same that I had experienced, and I refer the matter to scientific gentlemen, and desire them to solve the question. Can a black snake, by the aid of lamp light, fascinate two men, separated a distance of three yards, so that they lose all mastery over their actions, and are impelled, by a power that appears uncontrollable, to approach an object that they most dread on earth?
It seems a strange story, yet it is a true one: I will give the dimensions of the reptile, so that the public may know that it was no puny monster. Its length was exactly thirteen feet, five inches and a quarter, and its circumference was thirteen inches and a half. The snake was of the Diamond species, and grows quite large in Australia. I have heard of even larger ones being destroyed, but I thank fortune that I never met them during my residence. Their bites are not of a poisonous nature, but their fangs are so large and strong that they inflict an awkward wound; and in one case, when a miner was bitten, all efforts to stop the flow of blood were futile, and the poor fellow bled to death.
This occurred at Ballarat, soon after we located in that cheerful place, and Fred and myself were both sent for to investigate the case. We judged that the fangs of the snake had struck an artery, and this supposition, I have, since my return to this country, found to be correct.
There is quite a number of species of the serpent tribe in Australia, whose bite is death; but there is one kind, of a bright orange color, with a dark ring around the neck, that is very venomous. I once saw a miner bitten by one, and in defiance of all exertions that were made to save his life, the poor fellow died in less than an hour. We cauterized the wound with a hot iron, and at the same time compelled him to swallow huge draughts of raw whiskey; but to no purpose. In twenty minutes after he was bitten, the miner began to swell--in half an hour he could not swallow another drop of liquor, although what he had taken apparently had no effect upon him. In three quarters of an hour he was speechless, and in fifty-five minutes he was dead. That was quick work for the poison, and proves that the snakes of Australia are more venomous than the rattlesnake of America. Luckily, the orange colored snakes are not numerous, and I only saw three during my residence on the island, and I suffer no compunctions of conscience when I acknowledge that I assisted to kill them.
But the saddest part of the story connected with the miner's death remains to be told. After he was dead, no one would go near him, or assist to give the body a decent burial. Fred offered a handsome sum to any one who would do so, but all declined, until an American, whose heart was not contaminated by bad influence, gathered pieces of boards and made a coffin, and then assisted us to dig a grave on the hill-side, where we deposited the remains of the unfortunate man, to take his last rest.
Fred and I sat in the dark, conversing in a low tone, and starting at every sound, expecting to hear the slimy crawling of another snake; but in this we were disappointed, and happily so. As soon as daylight appeared, we started towards the hut of the inspector, situated at no great distance from our so-called store. Mr. Brown was asleep when we called, and it was with some difficulty that we aroused him.
"Hullo!" he exclaimed, at length, raising his head from his hard couch, and rubbing his eyes; "what's the matter? The store hasn't burned down, has it, and destroyed all the stock in trade?"
"Worse than that," returned Fred.
"Then a great misfortune must have occurred. What is it? If I can assist in any thing, I'll get up; if not, I'm going to sleep an hour or two longer. The miners had a meeting last evening, and what with bad rum and long resolutions, they kept me pretty busy until an hour since."
"Then make up your mind that you'll have no more sleep until our business is finished. Come, get up and take breakfast with us," Fred rejoined.
"That invitation is sufficient to make a hungry man forget sleep for a week. I'm with you."
The inspector gave himself a shake, and was dressed and ready to accompany us. He left word with one of his men, who was on duty, where he could be found in case he was wanted, and then declared that he was ready.
As we walked along, we told him of the visit that we had received the night before, and he listened without any expression of astonishment. When we reached the store things remained as we had left them, with blood scattered over the floor, and on the overturned boxes and barrels, while nearly side by side were the bodies of the snake and the robber.
Mr. Brown stooped down and examined the face of the corpse for a few minutes attentively.
"I knew that fellow would come to some bad end," the inspector said, "for he was a friend of Burley's, and many a robbery have they committed together, that never came to light."
"You might have cautioned us against him," remarked Fred.
"So I might, had I but known he was in Ballarat. I have not seen or heard of the fellow before for two months, and I thought that he was either shot or hanged, as he certainly should have been a year ago. He must have arrived here yesterday afternoon, and Burley told him that you had money, and that he could make a good thing in avenging his injuries and stealing your gold. I am glad to say that he was caught in his own trap, and I shall always cherish the name of a diamond snake for the good that one of them has done in ridding us of a ruffian who would have robbed his mother, and beat her in the bargain."
"But the snake--what do you think of that?" we asked.
"I have seen larger ones, though I will quiet your fears by saying not in this part of Australia. They are not so dangerous as they look, and seldom attack a man unless frightened into the encounter. A few miles from Ballarat is a colony of the same kind of reptiles, and it's something of a curiosity to see the monsters squirming about during a pleasant forenoon."
"Have you seen them often?" asked Fred.
"O, yes, I have seen them a dozen times, perhaps." "We have nothing of importance to attend to, for a few days, and would like to visit the colony. Will you go with us?"
"Willingly," replied the inspector. "Appoint your day."
"Say to-morrow forenoon. Our horses will feel better for the jaunt, and so shall we," Fred said.
"To-morrow forenoon we will go; and now, before we take breakfast, let us get rid of these encumbrances."
He pointed to the bodies on the floor, and while we were wondering what we should do with them, the inspector called a policeman, and directed him to find a cart and carry them off, and for all that we know to the contrary, they were both buried in the same grave. At any rate, the skin of the snake, which we had requested as a trophy, was returned to us, and by the aid of a quantity of arsenic, we were enabled to preserve it, and send it to Murden as a sample of one of the staple articles of the mines.
As soon as the bodies were removed, we went to work and cleaned our store, and then prepared breakfast, and I am happy to be able to record it, that the horrors of the night had no sensible effect upon our appetites. _