TWENTY-FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE(一)

The feeling of terror hit me when I was his ugly head in the grass.He was in the trail that passed right beside me.

A cobra is an ugly-looking snake at any time.But when he is crawing through the grass toward your face,your terror becomes even greater.

Shells from the enemy's guns were bursting around us.I was lying behind a big rock.The snake, too, was looking for a safe place.When he saw the rock, he crawled straight toward it---and me.I did not move, hoping he would pass by.

He didn't.

The cobra's head was within two feet my face when he saw me.He drew back a little,then lifted his head, ready to strike....

This happened in 1945, when we were taking the Philippines back from the Japs.Five of us were on patrol,sent out to find all we could about the enemy.

We were moving slowly down a grass-covered hill when the Japs opened fire on us.We took cover, figured out their positions as well as possible, and started "home".

We begain crawling back up the hill, one man after the other.I was the last man in the line.

The grass there grows knee high.You can hide in grass as high as that.We know how to do it---moving up slowly one man at a time.

I was lying behind this big rock beside the trail,waiting my turn to move up.Suddenly I saw the first man jump to his feet and run to one side.This showed the enemy where we were.I couldn't understand why he did it.

Then the second man in line got up and ran to one side.Right away the third man got up and disaapeared to the left of the trail.The next man followed.

The enemy shells were coming then.They were still a little wide off the mark,but they would soon come closer.I cursed my men for showing the enemy where we were.

Then I saw the cobra.He was coming fast toward me,and I knew,of course, why the men had left the trail.

If I lay still,the snake might pass by.If I showed where I was,the enemy guns would fire on me.

Just then a shell landed within thirty feet of the cobra.The grass waved.The ground shook.The snake was startled.He raised his long black body as high as it would go.He swayed from side to side,trying to find someone to strike.

He saw the rock and moved to within two feet on my face.When he saw me, he stopped.

I prayed to God that the snake would go on.

Then a shell stuck a few feet behind him.The shock of it almost knocked him over.

In an instant the big cobra turned and stuck blindly at the moving grass.I hoped he was hit.

But no such luck.He turned and came straight for my rock.

I asked God not to let me move.A cobra's bite is almost deadly.The person who is bit lives for only twenty-five minutes unless he gets first aid.
I was unable to move.I was so frightened.

The cobra slid around the rock and bumped into my right arm.He stopped.

Sweat was rolling down my face.My heart was beating heavily. He raised his head about four inches off the groud, watching.

Why hadn't I let the Japs kill me!

The snake put down his head then and started moving between my arm and my body.If I could hold out just a few more seconds!

Another shell burst near by.The snake stopped.Part of him was still under my arm.I could feel his body against my leg.He seemed to be trying to get under it.His tail was waving in front of my face.

Suddenly I had the feeling that danger was past.For some unknown reason I thought all I had to do was to let him under my leg.

As I raised my leg I turned my head to look.I was in time to see the cobra strike my right leg.

I rolled on my back, brought my left foot up and kicked the snake as hard as I could.He came free of me and rose for another stike.I suddenly raised my legs,and he struck at the thick side of my shoe.He hung on and chewed.

A cobra has two big fangs and a row of smaller teeth.He holds on with the longer fangs and then chews his posion into you.

With all the strength I had left,I brought my other shoe down on his head.The blow dazed the cobra,and he started striking out blindly.I went backward through the grass.

I am deathly scared of snakes. They are really disgusting.

How I crawed up the hill without getting hit is still a mystery to me.The Japs must have been firing at me.But I don't remember it.The terror in my mind must have shut out everything else.

Reaching the top of the hill, I half-crawled,half-rolled down the other side.At last I was safe from Jap guns and safe from the snake.But I had less than twenty-five minutes to live.

Things were like a dream from then on.The patrol had disaapeared.Shells were still falling to my left.

How long I walked,I don't know,but the first man I met was a Filipino who could give first aid.I told him what had happened.He did not cut the wound but bound my leg tightly.Then he started to go away,as if he had another job to do.That seemed a little cruel to me,but I guess he thought I was almost dead anyway.

"Which way is Texas?"I called out after him.

He turned and looked at me stangely.Then--"That way I think,"he said,pointing.

"If i must die,"I said,"I'm going to die trying to get home!"

That may sound crazy,but it was exactly the way I felt about it at the time.

Soon I saw a first-aid building.By the time I reached it,my right leg was as big as my body.

They took me into the main room and made a number of cuts in my leg that let black blood run out.That's all they did.Then they put me on a bed in a little room by myself.

As I waited there,I heard they wishpering that I was dying from a cobra bite.I got very angry.It had been twenty minutes since the snake bit me,and I wasn't near dead.I began to have hope.

I got up and walked into the main room.They were surely surprised to see me.

"You put me there to die,"I said,"But I may fool you.Where is the field hospital?"

They told me it was hopeless.They had no car to take me there.They tried to hold me back,but I pushed them aside.I just didn't like the idea of dying there.

I started out walking.Soon I was limping.When I could hardly go any farther,I heard the jeep.

It pulled up and stopped.

I fell heavily down in the seat.Somehow I felt I must keep thinking.If I didn't I feel that I would die.

The ride was a frightful dream.Riding over rough roads hurt my leg terribly.But it had been over an hour now since the cobra stuck,and I was still alive.And life was sweet...

When we reached the field hospital,they rushed me into the operating room and made several more cuts in my leg.From their talk,I could tell they were getting ready to cut off my leg.I begged them not to.

A young doctor said,"If we don't take it off,you can't live."

Two hours ago they said,"I had twenty minutes to live,"I answered,"Don't cut my leg."

An older doctor came over and sat on my bed."It ought to come off,really,"he said.

"Sir,"I told him,"I made up my mind once I was going to die, I'd rather die than be sent home in pieces."

He was a pretty good fellow.He smiled and said they wouldn't take it off.

They did everything they could for me.For sixty days my leg nearly rotted off.But eight months later I walked on to the shore at San Francisco.You could never know how good it felt.

Why didn't I die? Maby the snake stuck so many times at the moving grass that he lost part of deadly poiso.Perhaps I had kicked him loose before he had a chance to get a lot of it into me.I just don't know.

Afterwards they gave me the Purple Heart(I don't know its detailed mean,maybe it is a wood for disabled people, or a medal?).I laughted when the man pinned it on me.I told him I wasn't wounded.I was snake bit.

How poor the main character was!

How lucky the main character was!

very good describtion, i am attracted .