The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-02-10
SNAKE STORIES.
Tales Of India's Fearful Pest, the C0bra-A
Missouri Fable.

Tales of India's Fearful Pest, the Cobra-A
Missouri Fable.
The cobro is without doubt the most
fearful pest of pest-ridden India. Sir
Joseph Fayrer has shown that of twenty
thousand persons annually killed by
wild animals and reptiles in India, sew
enteen thousand die from snake poison.
Of these again more than one-half are
set down to the cobra, which is found in
all parts of the country, from Ceylon to
the Himalayas. When one thinks, too,
of the inevitably large number Of un-
recorded deaths from the same cause in
India, and the number killed in many
other Asiastic countries, where no stat
istics whatever arc obtainable, it will be
plain that the sum total must be some
thing appalling. And yet they may be
expected at almost any time to visit the
Indian country-house; may be found in
your bed, your cupboard, your boots
A correspondent Of Nature states that
he found one in the lining of his
brougham and another in the sleeve of
one of his wife's dresses, which was
hanging some feet above the floor.
Horses instinctively. avoid the cobra;
whole herds of COWS or bufaloes will
| flee before single one; even the tiger
breads it. A gentleman in the civil serv-
ice of India had a pet tiger confined
in strong cage, which often got so
noisy and disagreeable that 1t had to be
>bambooed-a rather difficult job One
day some one threw a freshly-killed
cobra at his cage, which, getting en-
tangled among the bars, hung sus-
pended there. The tiger trembled from
head to foot, and skunk into the furthest
corner of his cage, putting up his fore
claws, with the apparent idea of pro-
tecting his head. He was completely
cowed until the defunct reptile was re-
moved. A monkey in Cochin China alb
solutely went into fits and tainted away
when the rather cruel experiment was
made of fastening dead cobra to his
collar. On the other hand, the cobra
does not always have its own way.
There is story Of duel, seen
from a window, between one of these
snakes and a female rat; the latter was
for a long time too agile for the heavy
movements of the cobra, and managed
to wound it severely, while it escaped
unscathed itself. At last, however, the
cobra managed to intlict a poisonous
wound, when, as though aware that it
was all over with her, the poor rat
rushed into close quarters, firmly grasped
the snakes neck with her teeth, and
never let 90 her hold again.
The cobra plunged about furiously,
but to no purpose. Adeath- grip was on
its throat, and both the duelists fell in
that struggle. In spite of its viciousness
and almost because of it, the cobra is the
snake selected by the so-called charmers
1 for their exhibitions. They assert thai
the cobra is really the only snake tina
will show fight, all the rest being slug
gish, and, while prone enough to bite
can not be taught to perform any tricks
The fangs are usually extracted. Some
times the tables are turned and the snake
4 itself becomes the charmer, fascinating
its victim. The story goes that a young
girl of thirteen, living with her parents
in Franklin County, Missouri, was found
to be gradually wasting away in a de-
cline, at length becoming little more
than a mere skeleton. A popularity O.
the case was that she could not be in
duced to eat in the house, but always in
sisted on taking her bread and butter
or what not. to the banks Of a neighbor
ing brook, where she would remain fol
hours together At len 9Th her anxious
father determined, unknown to her, tt
watch her movements. One day she hat
been sitting quietly on the bank for some
time when she returned to the house
and asked for food. This was given t.
her, and she went back to the brookside
her father steaIthiIy following her
To his horror he saw huge
black snake slowly raise its heat
into the child's lap and take
pieces of bread and butter from he,
hand. If she ventured to take a bite
herself the snake Kissed and showed
signs of anger, when the child would
tremble like II leaf, and Immediately
give her food to the reptile. The father
was completely paralyzed, and groanet
in his agony. The noise disturbed the
snake, which glided away, and was
for the time being, lost to sight. The
child refused to answer any questions
she appeared. indeed, incapable of Sc
doing, II was determined that sht
should be allowed to go once more
to the bank where she had been accns
toned to sit, in order to allure the
snake 70 its doom Next day, then
the girl went with her little meal to thu
brook side. and the moment the rcptil,
appeared the father, who was on the
watch, shot it through the head
The child tainted at the sight; tn,
snake writhed and died The poo
little girl never recovered the shock
and came to her senses only to swool
again and again till she expired, appar
emily in great agony. What was tn
mysterious inhuence?- Good Words.