A GREAT BEAR-AND-SNAKE FIGHT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9401, 6 January 1894, Page 2 (Supplement)

A GREAT BEAR-AND-SNAKE FIGHT.

The following story of a great land serpent would make a good companion story—in his ■ hands—to. Rudyard Kipling's sea-serpent I tale, but there is this material difference, thab the land-serpent story has the advantage of being vouched for as true by a correspondent of the Madras Mail. In those great primeval jungles known as the Mulla- j mullais, where the sun vainly strives to effect an entrance through the dense masses of giant vegetation, some sons of lehmael, yclept Chencus, were engaged in setting their nets for game when their attention was attracted by the most hideous noises— fierce roars of rage and pain, and a prolonged hissing like the escape of steam from an engine. They hastened to the spot, and beheld the progress of a Homeric conflict.* A huge jungle bear was fighting for its life with a colossal serpent. The serpent wound its enormous folds round the bear; the bear dashed itsolf from side to side, and rolled along the ground in frenzied endeavours to get free, roaring angrily the while, and snapping its jaws like castanets at the serpent's folds, which, however, it could not reach, owing to the way in which they were constricted around the bear's , quivering body. ] In this way the belligerents swayed to the summit of a hill, down which the boar cast itself with a velocity that evidently disconcerted the enveloping serpent, for it unwound a couple of folds, and threw its tail around a tree, evidently with the intention of anchoring the bear to the tree, and preventing the unpleasant concussions that would be engendered by tumbling down hill. This, on the face of it, appeared admirable strategy; but it resulted in the serpent's undoing, in more ways than one. The rigid line of tail stretched out from the tree to the bear's body gave the bear a chance of seizing hold of its assailant, which up to this time had not been afforded. It was prompt to avail itself of the opportunity, and, turning with a tremendous effort, fastened its powerful jaws into the snake's quivering flesh. The hissing was now appalling, as the writhing serpenb rapidly unfolded its huge body and struck savagely at the clenched jaws of the bear to make it release the mangled mass of flesh between. In response, the bear roared furiously, dashing from side to side, and worrying the mouthful of serpent in its jaws in paroxysms of anguished rage. Once more the serpent constricted, the bear howled and gasped, and both rolled struggling out of view into the high grass of the forest. The track was now marked with pools of blood, and when they were again seen they had parted. The snake, evidently badly mangled, was coiled in an attitude of defence, with its head erect, and hissing apprehensively. It had evidently had enough, and only wished to be left in peace. Not so the bear. Though nearly crushed to death, with its tongue lolling out from its gasping, foamflecked and bloody jaws, the aroused brute, with innate ferocity, declined to retire from the combat. After a moment's pause it rushed upon the serpent. Evidently the latter was spent from loss of blood, for the bear immediately got it by the head and dragged ib about with roars of triumph. The whole of the undergrowth around was beaten down flab by the convulsive strokes of the great serpent's tail as the bear crashed its head to pieces ; and ib ultimately lay an inert and lifeless mass beneath the ferocious assaults of its vindictive enemy.