The weekly Butte record., 1863-03-21
& Snake 4 Wen L.


Perhaps one Of the most re .ss erc er"'erS
that ever had with snake ec ,1r~s.; % fle En-
little up country c.sll station c4..~i Ci,',ar,
in the Areet district, Madras PeSii-1cr
We had an oaihoase or codova. ..s Sizes
stores aud warehouses are calle3 10 la1a.
where we kept our annual supply oG taoapean
wines, beer, spirits, preserved fruits. Jams. e'c,
which were precious treasures ii sach au oat
Of the way place as Cnittoor, and which va
kept under the safe custody OF hu-e paddock.
the key of which was always teaao' o' esv
waistcoat pocket
Notwithstanding the proie>sea rel sl'oS aa.
tagouism to strong drinks and Earope. al ni
nations. there were many Of our seryaf~ -
pecially the coachman. an old rascal wga 5A,s
/ been half a century with various mmb.~s OF
the family. and invariably sof drafk on pay
day, aud every opportunity that presented. an'i
then ihrashed his poor cid wlfs anmeoeif',stst.
1 who had what the Irlsh cal .siran. wrsD.
ness for liquor of any description lt 'sa- tl-
duty of one or the other OF Us 10 ssrSe et .o
the head bubash or butler, sach qal-l..as ss
were required for consumption
One fine morning had preceded the bnba>h.
who was busy entering the cooks morning
market account, aud entering the store. walked
across to the further end IN search Of some iser-
metically sealed vands and vegeta oles which
were not procurable in the place at that season
of the year for love or money. The place was
/ lighted only by the entrance door, through
which, however, there entered a sufficient hood
of brilliant daylight to answer all my purposes,
/ l had just laid my hand upon tin case Of
green peas, and was speculating upon the best
means Of opening it, when a sudden scuiitins.
| squeaking and kissing close behind me attract
ed my notice and turning abruptly round |
saw that huge cobra and an angry rat had
| tumbled Just by the door Of the entrance, aud
were engaged in a deadly combat. The former
| had IN all probability intruded upon the lat
| ter's nest of young ones somewhere in the
rafters of the roof, and met with a hostile re.
cepton.
Sprngng up with the agility of fear, upon
strong projecting shelf for durst not make a
rush at the door under peril of my life. be-
came an unwilling spectator of this most une,
quail contest. The rat for some time conscious
of the venomous foe it had to contend with,
kept lcapng round and round, like an agile
| prize fighter, availing himself of every oppor-
| tunity to rush in and bite the snake, which had
worked itself into frenzied state of rage, and
Kissed and darted at the rat with its forked
| tongue in manner that was truly awful to
witness, while its little venomous eyes sparkled
| again in the sunlight with rage. At last the
cobra succeeded in inhicting a deadly wound
upon the brave little animal, who, apparently
conscious that soon all would be up with her,
put aside all previous caution, and rushed bold
ly in upon its adversary, fixing itself firmly
closely under the left eye of the snake, and
never letting go lis hold, notwithstanding all
the desperate lashing about of the tail and
body Of its much more powerful opponent till
the convulsions of death forced 1t to let go, and
fall PROSTATE before the snake.
| The cobra, which had evidently received
severe if not mortal wound to my terror made
its way directly to the shelf where | had taken
refuge, and was wriggling up one of the posts
that supported it. had nothing n the shape
Of weapon of defence of any kind or descfip-
/ ton But there chanced to be on a shelf over
my head some heavy bags of rice grown some
where 10 the interior of Bengal. | clambered
up to this shelf and seizing heavy bag. waited
until my ugly aggressor had wriggled itself half
way across the shelf below, when let drop the
sack, and so completely crushed the snake. 1t
was not long, you may be sure, before | re-
/ treated from the storehouse. | caused every
article in it to be removed (displaciug aud
killing in the operation whole family of young
cobras,) TO a more commodious warehouse.
where such venomous reptiles could easily be
discovered, and as quickly dispatched
RIGID HoxEsrY-Patrick o Bren was one
day strolling with friend through a grave
yard when his eye was arrested by an epltaph
which shocked bis sense Of propriety and We
racty. 1t ran thus;
Weep not for me, my children dear,
am not dead but sleeping here
Well" said Paddy, If | was dead, l
would be honest enough to own it."
WITTY REyESGE.-A story is told of the
revenge taken by a Nantucket ship master
against a United States Consul, who was very