The colonel was a tall, gaunt man, with high cheekbones, bushy eyebrows, and white hair.  He was seated on a solitary chair in the centre of the hall; his dress consisting of a pair of white nankeen trousers and a white shirt, the sleeves of the latter tucked up to his shoulders, and exposing sinewy arms, covered with hair.  By his side lay a basket of mangoes, and before his chair a large tub of water.  As Newton entered, he had an opportunity of witnessing the most approved method of eating this exquisite fruit.  The colonel had then one as large as a cassowary’s egg, held in both hands, and applied to his mouth, while he held his head over the tub of water, to catch the superabundant juice which flowed over his face, hands and arms, and covered them with a yellow stain.  The contents of the mango were soon exhausted; the stone and pulp were dropped into the tub of water, and the colonel’s hand was extended to the basket for a repetition of his luxurious feast, when Newton was announced.  Newton was sorry to interrupt him, and would have made an apology, had he not observed that the colonel, whose back was towards him, continued his pleasing avocation:  the fact was that the colonel was so intent upon his occupation that he had neither heard the announcement nor could he perceive Newton, who thus had an opportunity of witnessing the demolition of at least two dozen more mangoes without the colonel having turned his eyes in that direction, or being aware that he was not alone.  But something at length attracted the attention of Newton, and induced him to come forward, and put an end to the colonel’s repast.  The colonel had just taken another mango out of the basket, when Newton perceived a small snake wind itself over the rim, and curl up one of the feet of the colonel’s chair, in such a position that the very next time that the colonel reached out his hand, he must have come in contact with the reptile.  Newton hardly knew how to act; the slightest movement of the old gentleman might be fatal to him; he therefore walked up softly and was about to strike the reptile on the head with his stick, when the colonel, as he leant over the tub, half rose from the chair.  In an instant, Newton snatched it from under him, and jerked it, with the snake, to the corner of the hall.  The colonel, whose centre of gravity had not been thrown sufficiently forward to enable him to keep his feet, fell backward, when Newton and he both rolled on the floor together; and also both recovered their legs at the same time.

“You’ll excuse me, sir,” said Newton.

“I’ll be d——­d if I do, sir!” interrupted the colonel, in a rage.  “Who the devil are you?—­and how dare you presume to play off such impertinent jokes upon a stranger?—­Where did you come from?—­How did you get in, sir?”

“Is that a joke, sir?” replied Newton, calmly pointing to the snake, which was still hissing in its wrath at the corner of the room where the chair lay.  Newton then briefly explained the circumstances.