Connecticut western news., 1884-11-19
ALL ABOUT TAME COBRAS.
The Gentleman Named QuRin, and the Very
 Narrow Escape Hc Had.
From the Youths Companion.l

From the Youths Companion.l
 Up in Poona, a delicate gentleman named Quain, passionately fond of nat. ural history, was visited one morning by three Hindoo snake-charmers. In the bungalow compound, or garden, they showed of their time-immemorial tricks of making cobras raise themselves half up and sway gracefully to the harsh music of bamboo pipes.
 It occurred to him that he might train couple of snakes, and be in po- sition to observe their habits closely. He asked the snake-charmers if the fangs of the cobras were out, and seeing that he contemplated purchasing the snakes, they assured him, by Gunputi, that the fangs were undoubtedly ex- tracted. For a few rupees he bought the reptiles and turned them loose in his own bedroom, where he used to watch them crawling along the bamboo mat ting, snif1ng with their cold noses against the walls, or twisting them selves up within each others coils like a slimy knot.
 He made little box for them, lined with cotton wool, into which they used to creep in the heat of the day, for at nighttime they were always peculiarly active, probably because the weather then was comparatively cool. In differ ent parts of the room he laid down plat ters full of milk, and toward these the cobras crawled whenever they felt in- clined for food. It would seem almost as if they knew his voice, for when Quain entered tue room and spoke, they would lift their heads and crawl slowly in his direction. He even had a pet name for each, but am not aware that any of them recognized 1t, for when he called, they would both wriggle quickly to his feet. He often fed them himself when they came to him in this way, and many persons used to call and see Quain's loathsome pets, which were con- sidered one of the wonders of the Can comments.
 Ladies were frequently invited to call at Quain's bungalow, and see what a human being could do by kindness, etc., even with cobras; but they were more interested in the phenomenon in the ao- stract than in detail, and preferred to stay away and hear all about 1t from the officers who called upon them. Most of them agreed that Mir. Quain certain ly had very singular tastes, and that it would be an outrage for any person to marry him. Quain, however, lived through warnings and ridicule, and went on feeding his cobras.
 Qusin had a small imported Scotch terrier, which was great favorite, as it had wag of the tail and merry little bark for everybody that looked respect able and friendly. Zip" used to go regularly into the cobra-room with his master, and, after he became accustomed to the reptiles, would crouch down, bark at them, and then leap and tumble over their backs. The snakes would only wriggle out of the way, Zip follow ing them and barking at their tails, so that everybody believed and said that the terrier and the snakes were the best of friends.
 About four months after Quain's pur- chase of the cobras, he entered the room with some bread and milk and called them to him. Both glided noise- Iessly to his feet and Tapped contentedly at the milk. Zip, pretending to be jealous, jumped forward barking, and leaped with his forepaws upon one oi the cobras. It shook itself out, and went on tapping. Zip then went for its head, and jumping and running back, barking all the time, made. a playful snap at its head. The cobra ceased Tapping the milk, reared it's head about foot from the ground, and with iti spectacIed, outstretched hood, com menced waving the upper part of it: body to and fro. Zip made one more jump forward.
 Like lightning the cobra struck at tht dog, and then wheeled of, missing, tc it's lair beneath the couch. In ten min utes afterward, after enduring horrible sutferings, poor Zip lay dead with hi' master almost crying over his body, Quain then learned for the first time that cobra can renew its fangs in about three months, that his pets had re newed their fangs, and that he had actually been playing with certain deatf for several weeks. The accidental death of the dog had in all probability saved his life.