DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5833#0260
THE GUEBRE l'RJEST.
233
sounded like the cry of one in the immediate agony of
strangulation. In an instant, the instinct of filial ten-
derness suggested to her the extent of her parent's
danger. She rushed to the side of the prostrate man,
and at once the mystery was resolved. A large snake
was coiled round him, with its head opposite to his
face, and gradually tightening its folds in order to
crush him to death. The daughter, roused to an un-
wonted spirit of energy by her father's peril, raised
the knife, which she still held, and striking with all
her force upon the monster's body, severed the
spine. The snake instantly uncoiled from its vic-
tim, and writhed with agonized contortions about the
apartment. It did not attempt to renew the attack; and
the Parsee, by this time having recovered his breath,
seeing the condition of his enemy, took the knife
from his daughter's hand, and attacking the powerful
reptile, cpiickly despatched it. It proved to be a young
boa constrictor, about eighteen feet long—a fortunate
circumstance for Jumsajee Merjee, for had it been a
full-grown snake of that species it would certainly
have destroyed him.
As soon as he had killed the boa, as a precau-
tion against any similar attack, —a circumstance by no
means probable, as those creatures are almost invari-
ably found single,—he kindled a fire in the principal
apartment of the tomb, and lighting a torch, pro-
ceeded to examine the different recesses, in order to
clear them from any unwelcome occupants to which
time and neglect had given an undisturbed possession.
He found a number of large bats clinging to the
walls, which dropped upon the ground when his torch
x 3
233
sounded like the cry of one in the immediate agony of
strangulation. In an instant, the instinct of filial ten-
derness suggested to her the extent of her parent's
danger. She rushed to the side of the prostrate man,
and at once the mystery was resolved. A large snake
was coiled round him, with its head opposite to his
face, and gradually tightening its folds in order to
crush him to death. The daughter, roused to an un-
wonted spirit of energy by her father's peril, raised
the knife, which she still held, and striking with all
her force upon the monster's body, severed the
spine. The snake instantly uncoiled from its vic-
tim, and writhed with agonized contortions about the
apartment. It did not attempt to renew the attack; and
the Parsee, by this time having recovered his breath,
seeing the condition of his enemy, took the knife
from his daughter's hand, and attacking the powerful
reptile, cpiickly despatched it. It proved to be a young
boa constrictor, about eighteen feet long—a fortunate
circumstance for Jumsajee Merjee, for had it been a
full-grown snake of that species it would certainly
have destroyed him.
As soon as he had killed the boa, as a precau-
tion against any similar attack, —a circumstance by no
means probable, as those creatures are almost invari-
ably found single,—he kindled a fire in the principal
apartment of the tomb, and lighting a torch, pro-
ceeded to examine the different recesses, in order to
clear them from any unwelcome occupants to which
time and neglect had given an undisturbed possession.
He found a number of large bats clinging to the
walls, which dropped upon the ground when his torch
x 3