Hawaii Holomua, Volume I, Number 53, 18 November 1893 — A Terrible Moment. [ARTICLE]

A Terrible Moment.

It was iu Imlia. Dinuer waa just dni.shed in the messroom aud sevend English offioers were sitting al»oat the tal»le. The bronzed faces have the set but not unkindly Kx»k eouimon among militarv men. The eonversation, at best, had not been animated, and just uow there was a lull, as the uight was too hot for small talk. The major of tho regimeut, a clean-eut man of 5o, turned toward his next neighbour at the table. a young subaltern, who was Ieaning baek in his chair with his hands clasped behind his head. staring throogh the cigar smoke at the ceiling. The major was slowly loc»king the man over, from his Landsome face down, when. with sudden alertness, and iu a quiet steady voice, he said:— ‘Don‘t move, please, Mr. Carrutheis. I want to try au experiment with you. Don’t move a muscle.” “All right, Major." replied tho subaltern, \\itho«it even turning his eyes. ‘ Hadn’t the Ienst idea of moving. 1 assnre you. What’s the game?’’ Bat this tirae all the others were listening iu a lazily expectant way. “Do you think,” coutinued tho M3jor, aud his voice trembled just a little, “Do you think you ean keep absolntely still fcr, say, two minutes —to save your life?’’ “ Are yon joking?" “On tbe contrary, m ve a musele and you aro a dead man. Can you stand the straiu?’’ The snbaltern baro!y whispored, * Yes,” and his faco pale<l slightly. “Burke,” said the Major, addressing an olficer across tho tal»Ie, “ponr some of that milk into a saucer, and set it on tho floor here just back of me. Gently, manl Quiet'” Not a word was spoken as tho oflicer quietly fllled the saucer, walked with it carefnllv arouml the table, and set it down whero the major had indicated on tho floor. Like a marble statoe >at tho young subaltern iu his white linen clothes, while a cobra di eapella, whieh hadbeen crawling up the leg of his trousers, slowly raised its head, then tnrned, descended to the floor and glided. towaids the milk. Suddenlv the sileuce was broken by the report of tho major’s revolver, and the snako lay dead on the tioor. ‘‘Thank you, major,” said the snbaltern, as tbe two men shook hands warmly. “ Yoo have saved my life.” “You’re weleome my boy,’ roplīe<l tho senior. “But you did. your share.”