Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1858-04-03
"oUR COUNTRY Right Wrong ou1c Country"


to show minute crcviccs when they get dry.
! was standing close by the one which divided
mine from the chldrcn's room, putting my
color-bOx in order by the last light of day
and the Indian night gives short warning
when, through the heavy rain, which was
coming down in watcr-spOuts there came a
sort Of half hiss, half whispcr-thc queerest
sound that ever struck my car. was born
in France and there was q ercvice within
reach Of my eye. What need of further apol-
ogy! There was Zclle, alone, and all wet, as
If she had just crcpt through the window,
which stood open, taking out of her little grass
basket something like large green ball, which
she carefully tucked in under the bolster Of
the bed. Which of her duties the trusted
maid had come to perform SO stealthily,
could not guess but she stepped out of the
window and closed it behind her so swiftly and
silently, that could scarcely believe my eyes
when saw her glide away into the vcrandah.
"Thc rain continued, and the travellers did
not come. Mrs. jackson hoped they had
stopped for that day with some of the many
friends they had Oh the road, and the family
retired to rest at the usual hour. But the
dry season makes crcviccs in roofs as well as
in partitions; the rain had found one just
above my bed, and poured in such torrent,
that, before it was discovered, the chamber
was perfectly uninhabitablc. My good hostess,
requested that would occupy the childrens
room for the night; and had installed my
self there with candle and writing-case, in Or
der to write letters which were justly due to
sundry correspondents, for was not inclined
TO sleep. ------
"Thc whole house was silent. 1t was near
midnight; and was half way in letter to
.trnandittc-wc were friends when q slight
rustic made Inc look up, and there stood Zclle,
as erect and composed as if she had come for
one Of the oft-mentioncd tracts.
"Saib, said she, 'thcre's q cobra in your
bed; smclled it as | passed your door, for
my family were serpent charmcrs. What
will you give me if take it away ?"
GLOW did it come thcrc?" said /, pretend
ing to write on, though my pen was making
cobras on the paper, for the green ball had
seen taken out of the basket occurred to my
memory, and knew the said serpent to be
one of the most deadly of its kind. The Por-
tuguese settlers call it the capella, or hooded
snake, by which name it was known in Eu-
rope; but it had obviously not been placed
under the bolster for me, and as Zclle replied
quite innoccntly, Tdon't know, Saib, my res.
oution was taken, though it was certainly the
best policy. I'll give you half rupee
said !, and with quiet GESTURE of assent to
the bargain, Zcllc approached the bed, turned
up the bolster and, without haste or fear, lift
ed out the deadly thing, coilcd up exactly as
she had laid it in; and may be forgiven, but
| half wished it might bite her. Nothing of
the kind happened to Mrs. Jackson's maid
she laid the cobra carefully in the muslin
apron, opened the window, and stepped out
into the garden. The rain had ceased, and
the moon was shining. | saw her go down
the walk straight to the outer gate. She
opened it too, and followed her, but long
before could reach the gate it was locked
behind her and the girl was out of sight.
returned to my writing table, certain that she
would come back for the half rupee; and in
less than half an hour back Zellc came by the
very way she went, and closed tho window,
saying:
Now, Saib, the cobra's at home with his
licndS, and has promised never to come near
your bed again. "
every well, Zellc," said /, getting between
her and the door, Il have promised you q half
rupee, and l will give it to YOU, but saw you
put the cobra in the bed this evening If you
tell me why you did so l will not mention it
to any of the family till you are two days
safe out Of the house; and if you do not,
will rouse them all, and tell them this instant
"Zc!lc looked to sec if there was any way
Of escape; but had my eye on the window;
then her face took the fixed and stony look Of
the Eastern, who knows his destiny is not
propitiouS.
''Saib, said she, 81 put it there to kill the
judges children. My mother sent it to me to
be revcngcd on this family for all the evil they
had done to ours. Listen, and will tell you
the truth, for you do not come from England.
My father was Brahmin and Zcminder; he
inherited his land by adoption into the family
of our ancient ncight or Guzroo, and the Saib
Lester, who then gave law in Agra, took it
from him, saying he had no right and 1t be-
ongcd to the company. 1t had always been
the custom to rear but one daughter in our
house, and i'll due time that daughter was
welded, with a marriage feast becoming o
family of high caste; but the Saib jackson
found out this custom, and SO frightened our
people with his law that all the girls grew up.
When my fathers soul departed, my mother
determined to become suttcc, according to
the custom Of her ancestors, that tho family
might have honor in this world and in Para
disc; but the preaching Saib, who is also one
of the Jacksons, talked so much, that fear
came upon her when the pile was ready, and
she could not perform the ceremony. Now,
see what the dOings of these hogs, who eat
everything, have brought npon my people,
by the loss of this land, my father could not
make the accustomed offerings; he therefore
lost his standing in the temples and in the ia
vor of the gods. BY the loss of their inheri-
tance my brothers were brought down to
trades beneath their castes There were no
means to make marriage fcaSts for five daugh-
ters; all my sisters, therefore, married to low
caste men, and am a Pariah, drinking out Of
common vessels, and going abroad with an
unveiled face. My mother was so despiscd
by her ncighbOrs and at the holy places that
she would not live, but threw herself into the
Jumna, an offering to the goddess Durga, who
will not refuse even the polluted. BY her "a
vor, she has reached the transmigration of the
sepcnt, and sent the cobra to me that VIC
might be avenged on this family, who wor-
ship nothing but rupees, and think to buy
heaven and earth with them. Now, Sai6,
give mo my wages, for have taken away the
cobra and told you the truth"
I" did not venture to reason with the maid
of whom the missionaries had hopes. She
took her halfrupcc, and glidcd away to her
own room. My own sleep was not sound that
night, and in the morning Zcllc was no where
to be found. Neither mistress nor servants