Telegram-herald., 1889-08-05
AN sAsT.iNpsss oHOsT.


3.
tA@l - lFs c-flrg t1s warner iaeEtas,
rslarniag 70 tasir rssnect.vs eos-a..-nas
-4ser ca Iee russeF tbsI Capita te---
c1zmg ae1ss U&s Eaelts4 was clre-- ass
- = ssrFal.-4 s1rerst-t.e1s ed Lns $50
m4n uh3 40 followed lie C.ef-fl ~ over
ths ~or.d aid Vss. al teilgs coas--arsa.
talthf1i ssryl-cr leeU4s 1ao for s2--e ,-ss
heard e4rious seen5s a33lt the 11-ee- As
1rst he I-o-el. tl.ere were rats cr ullee p
Eee wal he W4s aHaaeEe1 ere alx1t D.
2est VErraorli .4rs a4-se. Tee eoof os-
w4s rilgaE vie-err-y ana . stray E1Ag.
writing Lclse s. las wal cf TIE house.
uot ia one place. o-t IA several ~ cnce.
I-is was followed - = compete sllence,
2ad IS uo-azs s4l Up IL oe1, rs hair
threatening T. stand oc end. &c WAS posi-
I've he heard = -oug-,ir1wn slgn. llls -
tie iasL feather. -, leaping fro1E t1e
coach, he rushed - his employer room AId
aroused 1ia aFoyiug that the pace was
haunted, al q few moments later l.,e e.
tire household a4s Il IA { rooa.
TIE aotoriety 80 cae4piy earned }came
exceedingly clsagree@ole. FIRST came
strangers. natives aud others, y 10 stooc "a
frCat Cf re house O4F AID NJ gnt adj eo6el
a. IL ~44 wondering curiosity. Matters
stood u -a-s shape for some days. vi ieu one
morning party OF lugglers passed II rough
the t0Wu and finally reached the jiented
house. A. here were nun Der o. Il ilcren
ia the fanny tue performers were knvited
into tAe grounds and gave al eutertz lmenL
Finally. as winding Up, one Of ~ "a took
o0t small oy-l basket having an o. Gee ia
the toD. a-c seating himself near Il began
70 play d quaint ar upon a nate.
After lndustrioasly playing for jsw mo
ments. says a cores spondent Of ~ Pnila
Gelpai4 Tmes, up through the hold ia the
basket came tie head OF a coora-oht Of the
most %. sDu9ls or snakes up tne the
Mdeous head with It's hood that Eave IA
malignant appearance 20 the reptte, and
Wien twelve or fifteen inches lIYe tie
basket il gan 20 wave 70 and frois IL ia
obedience 70 the measure Of the mufic
After the snake dance or 1T snake
''char-aing," >" as Europeans are w0It 70 call
1.-THE Indian sn8ke-charmer walket around
the house and among the busiest pointed
out no vh.cn might have been made by a
rabbit g. enc u the native attendants he
na.d that f1r q small sum extra he would
take out cobra which he thought was ia
the hoe. The English officer iid not be-
heve IT, but willingly submitted 70 the ex-
pertinent, and seating himself before the
hole the magician began his mournful
plant
For fifteen minutes he kept up the noise,
and then from tae opening there appeared
the ugly. hooded head Of q cobra Another
hole was soon found. this beng directly al
the base OF the wall Of the house The mau
examinciit a few moments carefully, and
then began 10 play upon the aute.
Hardly had the group gathered about the
performer before i most remarkable NOISE
came from the house. First, there was a
sound as OF escaping steam; then q sound
of some great body striking the wan and
rubbing against the timbers. Dust in
clouds came from the hole and the
'charmer' started back in terror, over
turning the man behind him. Recovering
himself he darted at the hole and thrusting
his arm in drew out, not cobra, but the
tail OF a much larger snake. Astonishment
was depicted on the natives face and hor-
ror in those Of many Of the spectators, as
he stood holding the tip Of the tail, and five
feet Of the body was visible
For n second the man hesitated. then re-
gaining his courage he shouted in Hindoo-
stance for the lOo1ers.On TO stand back,
and taking a good grip upon the tai ne
pulled gradually backward. Out il came, foot
by foot, inch by inch, 5, 10, 10, IS feet-1S,
was there no end?-lS feet Of ouivering
snake flesh IS large as a mans thigh.
A quick jerk now and the entire monster
was clear-at least twenty feet ia length
big enough to swallow q deer. and yet held
by a single man. The native was, however,
not in the least discouraged. He cluDg 70
the tail, and as the huge reptile turned
toward him with an angry hiss he gave it a
swinging motion by turning slowly. Grad
ualiy ne increased his speed, turning faster
and faster, until he seemed the center Of
wheel, the spokes Of which were the body
Of the python. so rapid was the motion
that the snakes body was perfectly
straight, and it was evident that as long as
the motion could be kept up the man was
safe, but if the monster could reach him he
would in a moment be crushed in the hor-
ribe folds of the reptile.
The lookers-on had long since fed, the
natives had gone shriekiug up the street,
the Englishman alone standing by, but even
he did not know what 70 do. as it was i'm
possible to shoot the animal as it was flying
around; 50 he stood few minutes aghast
at the curious position OF the man.
Il soon became apparent that the charmer
knew what he was about Not far from the
house stood : stout flagstaff. foot and a
half through, OF solid teakwood, and toward
this &c l.as gradually moving. whlriing tho
snake faster and faster. Now he was with
ia twenty-five feet OF it, aud suddenly II
dawned on the few spectators what he was
about to do. This was TO strike the head Of
the reptile against the pole. Nearer be
cane. whirling faster and faster, until the
reptile stood out like whip lash, and then,
witha quick step forward, be brought the
head OF the reptile against the wood with a
crushing sound. ne released Ills hold and
the great reptile doubled up In convul-
sive folds, digging up tue earth and sending
clouds OF dust into the ar. finally dropping
limp and lifelsss 20 The ground.
A wondering crowd soon surrounded The
dead boa, the now brave natives expressing
their opinions as 70 its size One thing was
evldent-that here was the ghost" The
tiv snase had in some way obtained en-
trance 70 the house. probably through the
hole in the foundation, and had proc.-ed
the mysterious sounds heard by the ~
The snske-ClarHers had. as IL their general
custom. placed harmless cobra m tho hole
and before thcy had t.ul- % call II out II
had encountered the big Dos, with the above
, result