Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-09-27
BESlEGED BY A COBRA.
A Ride on a Locomotive with a
 Venomous Reptile.

A Ride on Locomotive with @
 Venomous Reptile. An Experience Which Camc Near Turn.
 ing g Young Mans Hair White-Saved
 at tho Last Moment by
 Courageous Fireman.
 was stationed at Sooramungalum in 1875, where I formed close friendship with Tom Newdegate, the assistant traffic manager of the western section of the Chennaputnam railway. says a writer in Chambers Journal. He was widower and was bachelor, and, being the only Europeans in the station, with the excep- tion 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.
 It was very hot June evening, and Tom and we're stretched in long American chairs in the veranda of my bungalow smoking our sstrichies," when my sboy' came to ask for my instructions about journey I had to make by train on the fol- lowing day to 0 station a few miles down the line.
 
 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 Dak bungalow at Sunkery Droog.
 'Why not go to-night?" asked Tom. 'I am running special goods to Pothanore at twelve o'clock, and you can be dropped at Sunkery. Or better still will go with you, and we wlll 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 day's provisions, not forgetting bottle of Ex- shaw and half dozen sodas, and ordering the black chef to join him with his cooking utensils, Tom and dozed off ID our chairs to be wakened at half-past eleven o'clock. At that hour precisely we were aroused by the boys monotonous s'Sahl Sahp' and we were forthwith driven to the railway sta tion.
 We were soon of, and I found out at once that Tom was right about the engine being the coolest place. The velocity of the engine creates current of air which rap idly absorbs the abundant moisture thrown out from one's pores when the thermometer registers ninety degrees at midnight
 With our cheroots burning fragrantly we bowled along very chattily, and felt regret full that we had not longer run before us. 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 con- 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 tropical sun. Therefore, the furnaces are constructed to burn wood, of which there Is a 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 fre- man took up log to throw it into the fur mace, down dropped @ lively cobra on to the footplate. It was not very large species of tsspectacles," about four feet long; but a one-foot hooder is quite enough to grant a passport to the stoutest man that ever hopped, and to frank him to that country from whose bourne no traveller returns So, being four human beings on that foot plate, and consequently somewhat crowded, we skipped back with much alacrity. Un- 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 of 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 1t liked the fierce heat from the open furnace. It reared itself up, and in the hope of frlghten- ing it made a 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.
 It 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 hand-rail which runs along the boiler; the fireman went up the pile of logs behind him like mountain cat; s'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 on 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, I was unable to stir, and my feet seemed rooted to the spot. The cobra raised itself to strikei tried to jump of the engine, but could | not move. Iwould have called out, but hor- TOT had tied my tongue. The next instant l expected to receive the mortal wound, when the fireman slipped down from the logs behind the snake, seized it by the tail, and flung it bodily into the furnace. It was relief to see that cobra squirming in the l fire.
 Sunkery Droog signals were nowin sight, l and s'Tom" and I were soon after enjoying a peg in the station. But before the train went out there was short interview be- | tween that fireman and myself; and by the
 very broad grin on his good-natured face,