Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-04-02
BESlEGED BY A COBRA
A Ride on a Locomotive with q
venomous Reptile.
An Experience which Came Near Turn
ing q Young Mans Hair white-saVed
ct the Last Moment by
Courageous Fireman.

I
| manager of the western section OF tne
| Chennaputnam railway, says writer IN
| Chambers Journal. He was widoWer
and / was q 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 / were stretched in long American
chairs in the verands Of my bungalow
smoking our "trichIes," when my "ooy"
came TO ask for my instructions about
| journey l had TO make by train on the FOL
lowing day 10 a station 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 20 tonight" asked Tom. II
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 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 bottle OF Ex-
shaw and half dozen sodas, and ordering
the black chef to join him with his cooking
utensils, Tom and l 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 "Sah SahV" and we
were forthwith driven to the railway sta
tion.
We were soon of, and found out at
once that Tom was right about the engins
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 chattiy, 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.
Soor mungalum 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 a
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
crevlces OF roots of old trees in India, and
fhpc frannaOflu rriaH iatO bo
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 a log to throw it into the fur
mace, down dropped lively cobra on to the
foot plate. 1t was not a very large species
OF "spectacles, about four feet long; but a
one-foot hooder is quite enough to grant q
passport to the stoutest man that ever
hoped, 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 alacrlty. I'm
fortunately none of us had q 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 10 the track.
But the creature showed no inclination TO
go. Either 1t knew the bylaw against leav-
ing the train while In motion, or it liked
the fierce heat from the open furnace. 1t
reared itself up, and In the hope of frIghten.
ing II made kick at it, taking care, Of
course, not to let my foot go within strils-
ing distance, as my light ducks would have
been no protection against those awful
fangs.
II 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 besleged.
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 a mountain
cat; tom" vanished from the scene on the
opposite side of the engine TO that the driver
had taken, calling 10 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 beech tree; but 10 No.
the unfamiliar situa ion was perfectly be-
wllderlng, and being partly fascinated by
the loathsome thing, Twas unable te stir,
and my feet seemed rooted 10 the spot.
The cobra raised itself TO strikel
trleu 10 Jump on 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 flung 1t bodily into the furnace. II was
a relief TO see that cobra squirming in the
fire.
Sunkery Droog signals were now in sight,
and TON" and were soon after enioying
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,
and the hearty ''Salaam, Iyerr' with which
he brought both his palms TO his forehead,
judged be was well satisfied. Certainly |
was.
Care OF tho Eyes
DIR, Webster Fox, In the journal OF the
Franklin Institute, maintains that the ma
iOritV of bliul naDnla hnva Lost thafr sfvht