Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-10-16
BEslEGED BY A COBRA
A Ride on q Locomotive with q
Venomous Reptile.
An Experience which Came Near Turn
Ing . Young Mans Hair Whito-Savsd
ut tho Last Memsnt by .
Courageous Fireman.

manager of the western section Of the
Chennaputnam railway, says writer in
Chambers Journal He was widower
and 1 was bachelor, and. being the only
Europeans in the station, with the excep-
ton Of Major Nimrod, the Government
district engineer, whose duties seldom
allowed him to be at home, we naturally
spent good many evenings at each others
bungalows.
1t was very hot June evening, and Tom
and I were stretched in long American
chairs in the veranda of my bungalow
smoking our ''trichles," when my "boy''
came to ask for my instructions about q
journey i had to make by train on the fol-
lowing day to a station a few miles down
the line.
The prospect was not pleasant one, as
the land wind was still prevailing, and
had little inclination to face that parching,
fiery blast Therefore, did not look for
ward with eagerness to spending day in
the Oak bungalow at Sunkery Droog.
"Why not go to-nighti" asked Tom. '1
am running special goods to Pothanore
at twelve O'Clock, and you can be dropped
at Sunkery. Or better still-I viii 20 with
you, and we will ride on the engine, the
coolest place in the train by day or night" {"
readily closed with the offer, the chance
OF travelling by night instead Of by day at
that time of the year being too good to be
lost, and telling my boy to pack up days
provisions, not forgetting a bottle of Ex-
shaw and half dozen sodas, and ordering
the black chef to join him with his cooking
utensils, Tom and dozed off In our chairs
to be wakened at half-past eleven o'clock.
AT that hour precisely we were aroused by
the boys monotonous ''Sahl Sab" and we
were forthwith driven to the railway sta
ton.
We were soon OF, and found out at
once that Tom was right about the engine
being the coolest place. The velocity of the
engine creates a current of air which rap
idly absorbs the abundant moisture thrown
out from ones pores when the thermometer
registers ninety degrees at midnight
With our cheroots burning fragrantly we
bowled along very chattily, and felt regret
ful that we had not q longer run before u.s.
Nothing worthy of notice had happened un-
til the driver ordered his fireman to make
up the furnace.
Sooramungalum being upward Of two
hundred miles from the sea, coal or COM
pressed patent fuel would be too costly to
burn in the engines on account Of the ex-
pense Of bringing it from the coast; be-
sides, coal perishes very rapidly under q
tropical sun. Therefore, the furnaces are
constructed to burn wood, Of which there is
fair supply available from the company's
jungle reserves. OF course, all fuel is
precious, and drivers must take the fat
with the lean-that is, roots as well as logs.
Now, snakes very much affect the hollow
crevices of roots of old trees in India, and
thus they are frequently carried into the
wood-yards at the railway stations, and
thence are occasionally transferred to the
engine tenders.
This was exactly our case As the fire.
man took up log to throw it into the fur
mace, down dropped lively cobra on to the
1ootplate. 1t was not very large species
OF "spectacles,' about four feet long: but q
one-foot hooder is quite enough to grant n
passport to the stoutest man that ever
hopped, and to frank him to that country
from whose bourne no traveller returns.
So, beingefour human beings on that foot
plate, and consequently somewhat crowded.
we skipped back with much alacrity. I'm
fortunately none of US had a stick, or the
matter could speedily have been ended. As
it was, all we could hope for was that the
reptile would glide off the engine, and drop
on to the track.
But the creature showed no inclination TO
go, Either it knew the bylaw against leav-
ing the train while in motion, or it liked
the herce heat from the open fufnace Il
reared Itself up, and in the hope of frlghten-
ing 1t made kick at it, taking care. of
course, not to let my foot go within strik-
Ing distance, as my light ducks would have
been no protection against those awful
fangs.
1t was an unfortunate demonstration; for
the snake, so far from being intimidated.
accepted the menace as causus belli, and
advanced upon US.
We were besieged
The driver sprang out on one side Of the
engine, holding on the haAd-rail which runs
along the boiler; the fireman went up the
pile OF logs behind him like a mountain
cat; Tom vanished from the scene on the
opposite side of the engine to that the driver
had taken, calling to me to follow him. They
were all as much at home skipping around
sn the engine in the dark as squirrels on
the top branches of a beech tree; but to me-
the unfamiliar situation was perfectly be-
wildering, and being partly fascinated by
the loathsome thing, was unable to stir,
and my feet seemed rooted to the spot
The cobra raised itself to strikel
Itried to jump of the engine, but could
not move. Iwould have called out, but hor-
ror had tied my tongue. The next instant
| expected to receive the mortal wound.
when the fireman slipped down from the
logs behind the snake, seized it by the tail.
and hung 1t bodily into the furnace. 1t was
relief to see that cobra squirming In the
Gre.
bunkery Droog signals were now in sight,
and tom" and were soon after enjoying
q peg in the station. But before the train
went out there was q short interview be-
tween that fireman and myself; and by the
very broad grin on his good-natured face.
and the hearty 'Salaam, Iyerp' with which
he brought both his palms to his forehead,
Judged be was well satisfied. Certainly
was.