The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-05-08
UNCOMFORTABLE coBRAs,
killing Them on Sunday a Work of No
ceSsity in India.

without cloud in the brazen skies.
We had just come home from early
morning services and had taken our
seats at the breakfast table. At the
open door of our dining room our Telugu
school teacher appeared, saying: Sir,
a big cobra has been chasing a frog
through the whole length of our front
veranda. lie struck at it again and
again as it sprang past the open doors
of our sitting room, but the frog, utter
ing piercing shrieks las frog can when
pursued by serpent), sprang each time
quick enough to elude it's jaws, and to-
veranda and the frog sprang under a
box that is standing there, too near
down upon the hard floor for the big
cobra to get under, and SO escaped"
"Well," said l, where is the cobra
now?"
THAT is just what l don't know"
said he, for while | was looking to see
what had become of the frog-how he
had got away-the cobra disappeared
among the flower pots, and can not
see where he has gone" "He must
have hole there close by the veranda
somewhere" said l. "Will you please
go and watch until / come, and see if
you can get sight of him again, for he
must be killed if he lives as near the
house as that"
l don't go-a-shooting on Sunday, but
l went for my pistol then, for consid-
cred it decidedly a work of necessity
and mercy to put an end to the danger
of ourselves or our people being bitten
by that deadly cobra. Soon appearing
with revolver, which | kept for trav-
cling through the iungles at night, l
went to hunting for the cObra's hole.
Two large native tlower-pots stood
about six feet from the end of the ver-
anda, with each % beautiful rose grow
ing in it. of which my wife was very
fond. and beside which she almost daily
stood picking off dead leaves or water
ing and tending the roses. soon dis
covered IL hole in the ground about as
large as my wrist, partially concealed
by the grass that was growing right be-
tween the two fower-pots. which were
far enough aparS for person to stand
between them. The hole went down
perpandicularly growing larger rs it
went deeper. 1t took but moment to
bring IA hand-mirror and throw the re-
Election of the bright sun right down in
to the hole. 1t revealed horizontal
chamber only foot or SO deep, and the
glistcning scales of a cobra coilcd up at
rest.
Taking a piece of broken wagon tire
in my left hand to stop up the hole
with, and placing the end of it slant
ingly in the hole, | fred down into it.
Not motion was seen. | had missed.
Turning the tire up edgewise, | fired
again. What a squirming there was!
The cobra had been wounded. lie
struck up viciously at the iron, which
was turned down fiat as soon as had
fired to keep him from darting out at us.
| turned the iron edgewise and fired
again and again. When | had unloaded
the sixth barrel l let him strike his
head out and caught it against the side
with the iron tire. / had brought with
me Il pair of large hedge shears. With
these | caught hold of his protrudine
neck, and with stout pull with both
hands pulled him out and gave him a
hirt out into the compound.
What scattering there was of men,
women and children! My attention had
been so taken up by the snake that
had not noticed what big crowd had
gathered around. How they screamed
and ran! for they did not know that the
grip of the shears had dislocated the
fellows neck. and seeing full-sized
cobra flying out toward them, they
| seemed to think he was spriuging al
| them.
As l had grasped the head of the
cobra with the shears | had given the
wagon tire to the teacher, asking him
to insert the end again instantly that
drew the cobra out. for where one cobra
is you will usually find second.
came back and thsew the rays of the
sun in again. Yes, there were bright
cobra's scales and another cobra wrig.
Cling. Loading my pistol again, | re-
peated the firing, hoping that he would
strike his head out, SO that could catch
his head also.
Squirm and strike as he did his head
did not come out of the hole till | had
fred many times; but it finally cam,
and | secured him also. On drawing
him out and examining him closely we
found fourteen pistol ball holes through
his body, and still there was fight in
him. Any three of the wounds would
have proved fata; in time, but he dice
making a splendid fight. We laid the
cobras out on the veranda and meas
ured yhem. One of them measured five
feet eleven inches and the other six feet
and two inches, than which one rarely
finds Il cobra larger. Their hide showed
that they had evidently been living
there right among the flower pots that
were tended daily and within six feet OF
our veranda and within twelve feet OF
my study door for weeks or months
| Though the cobra is the deadliest serpent
known, and thousands of persons die o.
their bite yearly in India, no one in oul
mission has ever been harmed by one
Christian Intelligencer.
A Very Good Definition.
A little New York boy, Tommy
| Knickerbocker, whose father is a promi
nent club man, was studying his lessor
not long since. The little boy was very