The Red Cloud chief., 1878-07-18
n COBRA.

NYPf9 hhst thi> bitu viii ~ Ia \ prr-
stranger. and suddenly turn upon
W~eil-kno~n owner u be attempts Ia
l1>rAi IT,
Deg exercise this m,s,eriou. prefer.
eAce or aversion In = very marked de-
gree. Natural philosophers assume tina,
thesc preferences and diversions arr the
result II certain occult skin or fcsh
odors, II which we ourselves have no
knowledge.
All animate nature seems Ia hr sub.
mitted 10 these mysterious doctrines,
which are far beyond the ken II msn
Helios polsh Bsbroioor. commonly
called Helios. was n Ps%rsre-onc ~
those few remaining ~ the old caste ~
sun-worshipcrs. who recognize the ID.
vine love in the life giving power 81 the
sun, and who deny revelation ~ all
kinds.
They are now only Ia bc found In
Hindostan, where the natives are pretty
equally divided into Mussulmsns and
uindoos.
Helios hated the Mussulmans. and de-.
voted himself to reducing their powers
in India.
Rich, intellectual and pure. he wa. n
great power in Hindos,an. and in 1857,
gave valuable information To the t.as,
India Company. such n naturally help
ed To overthrow the native Mussulman
power in North India.
From that time Ia the hour In which
the crash came, he never ceased Ia OPP
pose the Mussulman cause in India.
II was even said that he had given
valuable information to the Russians
concerning military affairs in Turkey,
and IN anticipation Of the war upoh the
great Mohammodan power which ha,
now broken out.
Three years since. Hclios reached
England. evidently the bearer Of Valu-
able intelligence. for he was received "a,
the India office whenever he presented
himself there.
When winter. however. approached he
found that he could not bear the Eng
lish climate. But his work evidently
not being done. he did not return Ia In.
dia, but drif,cd Ia Nice. where his grca,
god, the SUM-. plays AT summer time.
whie in the distance the snow-coyercd
Maritime Alps may be seen. white rs ia
the midst II winter.
Here he took rooms nj the very top 81
the hotel. He was a Undetermined
: man. who hated display and loved
quiet.
He was solitary enough under the
tiles.
A hotel servant going into Helios'
bedroom n morning while the occu-
pier was out, was astonished 10 find a
man, evidently an East Indian by his
complexion, seated neal the stove. the
iron pipe Of which passed out on to the
roof.
Asked what he wanted. he said he was
waiting for the sabib's return.
Told that the gentleman would not be
back until night, he took his leave very
humbly.
1t was after he had gone that the man.
servant noticed that the door Of the
small cylinder iron stove which warm
ell the room when there happened to be
n cool day, had been broken sharp off,
and removed from the room.
He did not associate danger with the
visitor. He assumed that a careless SER
want had snapped the cast-iron door Of
the stove.
That night one Of the bedroom bells
was rung softly several times. and until
the night-porter gave the alarm.
During the winter at Nice, most Of
the visitors resident at the hotels are
invalids; and therefore a call in the
middle of the night is very
The properly appointed person asccr-
tanned that the bell was that of the
room occupied by NJ. Helios, the Par
see.
He never fastened his door.
''Monsieur!"
Bring a plate of milk, for Heavens
sake!"
Monsieur"
''Somc milk. for Heavens sake. in \
plate! 1t Is a matter Of life or DEATH
Walters in these winter hotels are ac-
customed to very strange requests: and.
therefore, the mar, with u civil affirm
alive. went down stairs and soon re-
turned with n plate of milk, and enter
ed the ROOM. bearing a light.
''Set it down on my breast" said the
SPSBsee, in q low voice.
re wondering man did as he was
en-.
At was only after he had dsne so that
lie saw a small brown snake cOiled upon
the Parsee's left arm.
Its horrid eyes were fixed upon his
beating jugular artery.
The waiter. paralyzed, could not move.
The strange attraction for milk which
overcomes all small serpents is well
known.
Neither man moved.
Gradually the cobra turned its head.
and very slowly turned Ia the milk.
Neither man moved. When the cobra's
head was dipped in the milk, the Par
see knew he might move.
A sudden dart Of his arm-itself much
ike a serpent-and the cobra was grip
ped. and being s%trangled.
Then suddenly there was a cry. and
the Parsee began 10 laugh.
He had become n raging mailman.
The strain upon the brain had been too
awful. When relief came. that arrived
. which, from an English point of view,
Is worse than death-insanity.
Nothing was ever clearly. ascertained
about the matter beyond these facts.
The Indian found by the hotel servant
in the was ascertained TO be living
in the adjoining house, separated from