The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1883-04-13
A NOTABLE BATTLE.
The Conflict Of the Mongooss and the
Hooded Cobra.


Hooded Cobra.
"The mongoose approached the cohra
with caution, but devoid Of any appear
ance of fear. The cobra, with head
erect and body vibrating, watched his
opponent with evident signs of being
aware of how deadly an enemy he had
to contend with. The mongoose was
within easy striking distance of the
snake, who, suddenly throwing back his
head. struck at the mongoose with ire
mendous force. The mongoose, quick
as thought, sprang back out of reach,
uttering at the same time savage growls.
Again the hooded reptie rose on the de-
fensive, and the mongoose, nothing
daunted by the distended jaws and glar-
ing eyes of his antagonist, approached
so near to the snake that he was forced,
not relishing such close proximity, to
draw his head back considerably; this
lessened his distance from the ground.
The mongoose, at once Selling the adj
vantageous opportunity, sprang at the
cobra's head, and appeared to nfiict as
well as to receive O wound. Again the
combatants put themselves In position
to renew the encounter; again the snake
struck at his willy opponent and again
the latter's agility saved him. 1t would
be tedious to recount In further detail
the particulars of about a dozen sue
cessive rounds, at the end of which time
neither combatant seemed to suffer more
than the other. The fight had lasted
some three-quarters of and hour, and
both combatants seemed now TO nerve
themselves for the final encounter. The
cobra, changing his position of defense
for that of attack, advanced, and seemed
determined now to do or die Slowly
on his watchful enemy the cobra adj
vanced with equal courage the mon
goose awaited the advance of his still
unvanquished foe. The cobra had
now approached SO close that the
mongoose (who, owing to want Of
space behind, was unable to spring out
of reach by jumping backward, as it had
done in previous encounters, nimbly
bounded straight up in the air. The
cobra missed his object, and struck the
ground under him. Immediately on the
mongoose alighting the cobra, quick as
thought, struck again, and, to all APP
pearances, fixed his fangs In the head OF
the mongoose. The mongoose, as the
cobra was withdrawing his head after
he had inflicted his bite, instantly re-
taliated by fixing his teeth in the head
of the cobra. This seemed to convince
the cobra that he was no match for his
fierce and watchful antagonist; and
now, no longer exhibiting head erect
and defiant eye, he unfolded his coils
and ANONYMOUSLY skunk away. In
stantly the mongoose was on his retreat
ing foe, and, burying his teeth In his
brain, at once ended the contest. The
mongoose now set to work to devour his
victim, and in few minutes had eaten
his head and two or three inches of the
body, including the venom so dreaded
10y all. We should have mentioned be-
fore that previous TO this encounter the
snake had struck fowl which died
within half an hour of the infection of
the bite, showing beyond doubt its ca
pability of inhicting q deadly wound.
After the mongoose had satisfied his APP
petite we proceeded to examine with q
pocket lens the wounds he had received
from the cobra, and on washing away
the blood from one of the places the
lens disclosed the broken fang of the
cobra deeply imbedded in the head of
the mongoose. We have had the mon
goose confined ever since (now four
days ago., and it is now as healthy and
lively as ever" The anecdote lends
strong confirmation to the theory that
the mongoose is uninjured by the ven
ON of poisonous snakes.