New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-25
BESIEGED ON A LOCOMOTIVE.
A RIDE WITH A COBRA.

was stationed at sooramungaum in 1875, where
lQrued close friendship with Tom Newdegate the as
ssant traffic manager of the section Of the
OheDnaputnam Railway. lie was wid0wer and |
was bachelor and being the only Europeans IN the
s.duoh, with the exception Of Major Nimr0d, the
Government District Engineer, whose duties seldom
good mann n% TO be at home we naturally spent
1t was very hot June evening, and Tom and 1
were stretched In long American chairs In tho yeranda
OF my bungalow, smoking our " trchies' when my
boy' came to ask for my Instructions about jour
nsy had to make by train on the following day to
Inc prospect was not pleasant one, as the land
Tina ac wa sun preyang aud had little inclination ion
not look forward with eageness to spending day
tn the Ell OAK bungalow at sunkey Droos. :.
ming special goods 10 POhanOre at ~ O'Clock, and
you can be dropped at sunkery. Or better still-I
coolest place in tho train by day or night
~ readily closed with the Offer the chance Of travel
year being too good to be lost and telling my boy
to pack up days provisions, not forgetting bottle
black onS join %h his Cooking
aud dozed off in our chairs to be wakened at IL 30
the boys PY san "e and we were
forthwith driven to tbe railway station
Tom was right about the engine being the coolest
place The velocity OF the engine creates current
81 ar when rapidly sDsoros Inc sou h
registers 90 degrees at midnight
with our sheroots burning h1 iraaniy we BOWED Esd
not longer run before Nothing worthy of 10
ce had happened until the driver ordered his fireman
soOramungalum being upward of 200 miles from
the sea- coal compressed patent fuel would be too
costly TO burn In the engines on account OF the ex
pense Of bringing 1t from the coast; besides, coal
pershes very rapidly under tropical sun. There.
fore the furnaces are constructed TO burn wood Of
which there is fair supply available from the com
pany's Jungle OF course all fuel IS precious,
and drivers must take the fat with The leanthat is,
XoT snake, very much Oh, affect the h T6ss
and thus they are frequently carried into the wood
yards at the railway stations, and thence are &C
casonay transferred 10 the engine tenders.
This was exactly our case. As the fireman took up
a log to throw i; into the furnace, down dropped
lively cobra on 10 the footpiate II was nor very
bu q one foot hOOdcr is quite enough 20 grant pass
port to the stoutest man that eyer hoped, ana 10
eller returns 80 being four human beings on that
foot-plate and consequently somewhat crowded, we
skipped back with much saor,y umIGrs ennsT,y
have been ended As It was. all we could hope for
was that the reptile would glide of the engine, and
But the creature showed inclination 20 go. Either
Il knew the by law against leaving the train while III
notion or II liked the fierce heat from the open fur-
mace II reared itself up and In the hope of frighten
ing It made a kick at It, taking care OF course; n0t
70 les my foot go within striking distance as my I'm
ducks would have been no protection against thOse
Il was an unfortunate demonstration for the snake
so far from being nmidalei, acccpeu the mohaoo az
casus belll. and advanced upon us.
The driver sprang ont on one sme ol 'n IT,, va7' H.
holding on the hand-ra which runs along w,
boiler: the fireman went up the pile OF log. Deh!iu
him like mountain cat; " Tom vanished from the
scene on the opposite side Of the engine 70 that me
driver had taken calling 10 ire 10 follow nm. lhey
were ali as much at home skipping around on the en-
CINE in the dark as squirrels on tho top branches OF
beech tree but 10 me the unfamiliar situation was
perfectly bewIldcrng and being partly fascnated Dy
tho loathsome thing unable to stir. ana my leet
seemed rooted TO The spot.
The cobra raised itself 70 strike! -, 80.
| tried TO Jump of the engine. but ] could nor
move ! would have called out. but horror had Yea
INV tongue The next instant / expected to receive
the mortal wound when the fireman slipped dOWh
from tho logs behind the snake, seized II DIV inc ta
and HunS II bodily into the furnace. lt was reief
to see that cobra sQuiTming in the fire. -,
Sunkery Drooc signals were now In slght, ara
Tom, ard I were soon after enjoying peg In the
station But before the train went on there was
short interview between that fireman and mysen ana
by The very broad grin on his goodnatured face ana
the heaTty Salaam Iyer!H with which he Drougn,
both his palms 10 HIS forehead judged he was well
satisfied. Certainly was.