Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1889-08-13

TIE K.irsirs mite Il sa,. Death ssd the
Csbrs's Almost sure.

Csbrs's Aiuss>s sure.
A friend of mine In Bengal. In the mil
itary service. who was y bachelor. ono
day invited friend TO dinner with him.
The cook house was. ~ most cook houses
are In India, about fifty yards from the
house Tho friend arrived and they
talked. Dinner time came. but no re-
quest 20 como 10 dinner. Half an hour
pa~cd and my friend saidi well. !
wonder what's the matter with tho
bcastly cook. Hes quite late" They
talked on until an hour had passed. Then
my friend saidi swell. we'll just No out
and see.- And what do you think they
sawi Why. above the door. with his
head swinging from side TO side through
the transom and seesawing back and
forth. was a gigantic cobra The cooks
inside were very much afraid and would
not venture out. 81 course. The guests
raised shotgun and killed the poisonous
cobra, though IL was hard on the house.
They thought themselves lucky. though.
a. may he supposed.
Nobody ever RECEIVERS from bite OF
the kaircit. and 10 Ia rare that anybody
ever gets over the bite % the cobra ]
never knew ~ but one case. A doctor In
the army there had one that he had half
tanned As a monstrous curiosity. lie was
exhibiting 10 one day 10 some friends,
when !, bic him on the finger. lie was
an expert and his rerhciie- were right nj
hand. lie instantly applied them and
got over Il. but n he had had 10 walk up
stairs even he would have been dead
man. Mind you. he Was doctor.
One Of my editorial associates on The
Pioneer. who belonged to the Natural.
ists' club In Allahahad. one day brought
In q kaircit In q bottle and Was exhibit
Ing II 90 the members. II, IL dead
.aid he. and he thought 10 WAS, for 10
was all broken 10 pieces. All at once
tho head h.gyAn 90 wriggle and bounce
around. II could bite then Jus, a. good
a. u could b.for. You may guess there
was q rcampsring. That Ia q pcculsArity
% thc-e snakes When you think they
are dead they are not That Il another
reason why they are - much dreaded.
Tho cobra % which have spoken IL.
"a you may have rad. famous for its
ability 10 charm whatever 10 CONES In
contact with. but never dreamed %
the power Of the cobra until went to
India II rai.es itself about on.-third
81 II. length FROM the ground. and. de
tending it, great hood. waves its,lf hack
and forth. It, hood when open looks az
II tho snake Vas cut lcngthwiss In the
breast. a little like an open coat A aide
view % Il givr- a notified appearance %
the shApe % An inverted pair % sp-cta-
clcs II waves itself backward and for.
ward. breathing and blowing In a mys.
tcrious way. and the sight Il - awful
YOU can't take your eyes OF H. lts little
eyes glcam like two halls % fire. and
when u strike. there u nothing but a
blur. u gccs - fast
Tho cobra Ia India Il tho serpent % TO
nance Despite tho fac, that !, Ia dead.
". the native. hesitate 20 ILL H. There
are fcw places where this snake will nat
urAlly live tha, haven't got cobras, tho
natives are 81 suTcrstiiious about them.
They vary In length from four 10 eight
fcct. Tho king cobra. ~ called. Is moth
Ing bat blg cobra Tho famous snake
chaTners u India. % when have scen
many. cxerci~s n curious art with them.
They are able o. put them 10 sleep with
the wcird music Of their bagpip-A The
cobra. when about 10 spring. looks like
the devil incamaie.
4 strange thing In India IL that every
thing In the way 81 a serpent, a scorpion.
tarAntula 90 Wild animal IL the color ~
tll. background IL matches the -oll
where u ). found You 80 a royal Iien'
gai tiger In America or England and you
can tell Il right oil. but you sce u thers
and somewAy It's strips do not stand ou'
and IL springs upon you unawarcs.
Tho snakes % India are In BssgAl and
down south In MAdraa Thc-s are ths
home % the snakes Northwcs, India d
not very snakcy. In some places ther'
arc - many snakes that II IL simply q
hell on earth. There are many othei
snakes than the kinds have told you 81
and many OF them are poisonous, bu'
the.ss are tho worst There arc also cen
tiI-ics I've inches long. and poisonous
lizards that drop their tails OF and ~
right on. thinking thus 10 delude you
when YOU have secn them frat and go'
tho drop on them. San Francisco In
Aminer