The Red Cloud chief., 1878-11-28
IN, >4er,, Of Ss.le tAarmlnr.

In indiA, the fAvorii. snake tor cshi.
hilton Is the Cobra. partly bcrsu.c II
It's more striking appearance, and part.
|, b<cAu.-. It's deadly character being
so well known. any trifing with " sp-
pears to the uninitiA,-d public the morv
wonderful Nor, indeed. de the per
tormsne-s ~ the Hinduo snake charm.
~rs lose. on better acquaintance, all n
their maryclousa-.s. for courage IL =
high order, arising partl, from the con.
hdcnce acquired by hong practice, IL
manifested In .ciEing aud basg ing the
dreadful ophidian.
In mos, cases the charncr renders
IN, reptile. harmless nv drawing their
poison fangs. and the exhibition then
becomes merely on. II the snakes high
IN trained condition. On the ether hand
IL happens that the basko, contains the
,critahlc ieath.dcaler, and a cobra
with It's fangs undrasn Is ncNrly al.
ways forthcoming. II the temptation In
money IL sufficiently strong Bu, In
handling the creature when once 81.
posed there ~ no hesitation, Tor hrsita'
ton means death. aud In the s~ift ..is.
ing aud sudden release there IL daring
II an exceptional Kind.
A cobra strikes. when u has really
made up It's mind Ia strike, with light.
| ming rapidity. and Ia dodge lightning
successfully requires considerable agtl.
i,y.
Tn. snake charmer~, however. when
put ON their met,l,. viii grasp the cree,
cobra with lmpunity. owing solely Ia
the su p~rior speed ~ their movements.
for by q feint they provoke tn. reptile
tn strike. aud before u cAn rsover Its
attitude .cis. II below the Jaws.
In the same Way the ichnrumon or
mongoose secures In contest with ven
omous snakes . comparative immunity.
II was fer n long time an article of faith
with writers ~ popular works On nat
urnl history. that this animal enjoyed q
complete immunity. hut scientific on.
pertinent has corrected this fAllacy. A
mongoo.c aud cobra confined together.
Tough, freely. and though the latter
seemed Ia the eye la strike the former
repeatedly. the mongoosc. on being "a.
Amined after killing the snake. was
found Ia be- untouched Another cob.
RI Was then brought upon he scene.
and being made Ia close it's fangs on
the animals leg. the mongoose confess.
I'd It's susceptibility Ia the poison by dy.
ing In about four minutes.
II was therefore by it, superior ar,lv.
iiy alone that In a fair Ugh, With the
reptile IL had escaped unhuri, and ~
IN. same cause the snake chsrmer owe.
the immunity that attends his .shibi.
,ions. hut. As In the ease II the mon
goose. the snake charmer. when aciu.
ally bitten. dies ~ rapidly as any other
creature, and In spite II all tn. powers
81 his cha, ms. roots n snake-s,ones
The Hipdoo spectator refuses TAI believe
this. and enjoys, therefore, 10y his ere
dulity. n pleasure denied "a more intel
iigent audiences. for u we could onl,
scccp, as truth the charner's statsmsn
that he has really bccn bitten. and tina
, the red drop. on IN. bitten -po, yer
actually blood .soLing from b fa,a
puncture. and could then believe tha
I the root he .mcllcd. the stones he mp
|. piled 81 the wound. and the charms b,
mn,irred were veriiAbly c~punierariinI
the magic ~ the cobra's poison. In
I spectacle would be ~ surprising In
ter.st, since u would lie n miracle.
\, For the cobra's bite there IL no RENE
dy except instant smputa,ion. and ib'
snake charmcr himself know. tbi
. yell. A. n means II general securit.
/. h. couhdc. In hi. d%es,rous sleight %
hand. bu, In eases 81 accid.n, %. cat
? ries a brod-bladed knife London Da,i.
:. TsS1yapA-