Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

In the vicinity of the barracks assigned to the European soldiers in India, there is usually a number of little solitary cells, where the disorderly members of the corps are confined for longer or shorter terms, by order of the commanding officer. In one of these at Madras, on a certain occasion, was locked up poor Jack Hall, a Scotchman, belonging to Edinburgh or Leith. Jack had been intoxicated and was sentenced to eight days of solitary confinement.
Soldiers in India have their bedding partly furnished by the honorable company, and find the remainder themselves. About this part of the house furnishing, however, Hall troubled himself very little, being one of those hardy, reckless beings on whom privation and suffering seen to make no impression. A hard floor was a down bed to Jack; and therefore, as he never scrupled to sell what he got, it may be supposed that his sleeping furniture was none of the most abundant or select.
Such as it was, he was stretched upon, and under it one night in his cell, during his term of penance, and reflecting on the impropriety of the future “putting an enemy into his mouth to steal his brains,” when lo! he thought he heard a rustling in the cell close by him. At this moment he recollected that he had not, as he ought to have done, stopped up an air hole which entered the cell on a level with the floor, and also with a rock externally on which the building was placed.
A strong suspicion of what had happened, or what was about to happen, came over Hall’s mind; but he knew it was probably too late to do any good, could he even find the hole in darkness, and get it closed. He therefore lay still, and in a minute or two heard another rustle close by, which was followed by the cold, slimy touch of a snake upon his feet.
Who, in such a situation, would not have started up and cried for help? Jack did neither. He lay stone still, and held his peace; knowing that his cries would most probably have been unheeded by the distant guard. Had his bed clothes been more plentiful, he might have endeavored to protect himself by wrapping them closely around him; but this their scantiness forbade.
Aware that although a motion or a touch would provoke a snake to bite, it would not generally do it without such excitement, Jack held himself as still as if he had been a log. The snake, which was of great size, crawled over him. Jack moved not a muscle.
For an hour the reptile crept back and forth over the body of the petrified sailor. At length it selected a position near his head, and coiled itself to rest.
The morning of that terrible night dawned at last. Never had the human heart experienced such violent throbbings; and yet, the dauntless courage of the sailor sustained him through the difficult trial. Jack looked cautiously about him; arose noiselessly, and looked for the intruder. Not seeing the snake, he became assured that it was under his pillow. He raised the end of this just sufficient to get a peep at the reptile’s crest. He then placed his knee firm on the pillow; but allowed the snake to wriggle out his head, which he battered to pieces. This done, the courageous fellow for the first time breathed freely.
Chamber’s Edinburg Journal.