Telegram-herald., 1889-09-16
BEsIEuED BY fAiCUBKA.
an rxp<rts.se ehioA c.zs Near rurH-
? ~ . f~--x Mas H2fr sThlss-s-ssa 9
- re L@ss x0zE@s1 -
Cs@<.xSo.s Ef<s114z-


was stationed az Socrsm II gsluEn -
is15, where I fernss : cl0=e friendship
wllh Ton Nswdegste. TIE ssslstsnt trAfao
manager CT tie wesgera ssctico - rs
Caennsp1kG22 RAILWAY, SAYS = writer IA
Chambers Jszr1A rs uss . s-6ow1r
ard sas bachelor, snd. eeinx the only
Earope2as n Ire station, with TIE exoep-
ton cf MAJOR Ainrod, tie 0gESrnmelt
district engineer, whose duties seldom
allowed hln - os st houe, We nstar@.-y
spent good many e. snlngs a. each ether
bungalows. s.ss-.a-ss..-
Il was very hot June evening. and Tom
snc l were stretched IA lsng American
ehsirs 10 The veranda u ~ bungalow
sD-ok-ng our ''trleAlss," whsu ny boy
came % ask for ny instructions about =
lscruey l had 10 make BY train On tie To-
loving day 70 station ,sW miles down
to line. --.sss.-e.
The prospect was not q pleasant one, as
the Land wind was stlu prevailing, and
had little Inclination u face that = ching,
nsry blast Therefore, / did not iook for
ward with eagerness 20 spending day II
the Dak bungalow al SunksTy D-oog.
''Why not 20 to night" asked Tom. 81
am running special goods ~ PothanoFe
~ twelve O'Clock, aai yoa san be dropped
st Sunkery- Or better still VIII 90 with
you, and we VIII ride on the engine, the
coolest place In the train BY day or night"
readily closed with the cfor, the chance
Of travelling BY night instead OF By day az
that time or the year being too coed 70 be
lost, and telling ny boy 70 pack Up days
provisions, not forgetting bottle Of Ex-
a kafa -I.--
the black chef 70 join him with bis cooking
utensils, Tom and / dozed OF IN our chairs
10 De wakened Ct half-past eleven O'Clock.
At that hour precisely we were aroused by
the boys monotonous "Sahl Sab p 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 sbsorbs the abundant moisture thrown
out from ones pores when thethermometer
registers ninety degrees at midnight
With our cheroots burning fragrantly we
BOWED along very chattiiy, and felt regret
fnl that we had not longer run before US.
Nothing worthy OF notice had happened un-
I'll the driver ordered bis fireman 10 make
up the furnace.
Sooranungalcfn 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 1t from the coast; be-
sides, coal perishes very rapidly under a
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 tho
vood-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 a log to throw Il into the fur
mace, down dropped a lively cobra on TO the
footplate. It was not very large species
Of ''spectacles," about four feet long; but a
one-foot hooder is suite enough to grant
passport to the stoutest man that ever
hoped, and 10 frank him 20 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 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 of the engine, and drop
on 10 the track. .s-.,t.-
But the creature showed no inclination 10
90. Either il knew the bylaw against leav-
ing the train while in motion, or IL liked
the fierce heat from the open furnace 1t
reared itself up, and in the hope OF frIghtcn-
ing IL made a kick at it, taking care, Of
course, not 20 let my foot go within strik-
ing distance, as my light ducks would have
been no protection against those awful
zangs. -.
1t was an unfortunate demonstration; for
the snake, so far from being intimidated,
accepted the menace as a causus belli, and
advanced upon US.
We were besieged.
The driver sprang out on ono side of the
engine, holding on the haod-rail which runs
along the boiler; the fireman went up tho
pile of logs behind him like mountain
cat; Tom vanished from the scene on the
opposite side of the engine to that the driver
had taken, calling to me 10 follow him. They
were al as much az home skipping around
on the eng CINE in the dark rs squirrels on
the top branches Of beech tree; but 10 me
the unfamiliar situation was perfectly be-
wilderiDg, and being partly fascinated by
the loathsome thing, l was unable Ia stir,
and my feet seemed rooted 70 the SPOT.
The cobra raised Itself to strike
tried to jump OF the engine, but could
not move. Iwould have called out, but h0r-
TOR bad tied ny tongue. The next instant
I expected 70 receive tie mortal wound.
when the fireman slipped down from the
logs behind the snake, seized IL by the tail,
and fungit bodily into the furnace. It was
q relief to see that cobra squi-ming in the
FIRE
Sunkery Droog signals were no-viu SIGHT
and Tom" and were soon after enjoying
peg in the station. But before the train
went out there was q short interview be-
tween that fireman and myself; and hy the
very broad grin On bis good natu-ed face,
and the hearty "Saiaam, Iyer - with which
he brought both his pains % bis forehead,
Judged nc Vas well satisfied. Certainly
was.
Care - the Eyes
DR.. webster Fox. in the Journal of ths
Franklin Institute, maintains that the ia
iority Of bind people have lest their siEhi