Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1891-06-12
UNCOMFORTABLE coBRAs.
killing Them sa Sunday a Work of Me-
cesslty In India.

Killing Them sa Sunday a Work of Me-
cesslty In India.
II was a hot Sunday morning 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.
big cobra has been chasing a frog
through the whole length of our front
veranda. He struck at it again and
again as it sprang past the open doors
of our sitting room, but the frog, utter
ing piercing shrieks (as a frog can when
pursued by serpent), sprang each time
quick enough to elude it's jaws, and to-
gether they rushed off the end of the
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 I 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 l can not
see where he has gone" "He must
have hole there close by the veranda
somewhere" said 1. "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
went for my pistol then, for l consid-
cred it decidedly work of necessity
ap'l mercy to put an end to the danger
Of ourselves or our people being bitten
by that deadly cobra. Soon appearing
with revolver, which l kept for trav'
cling through the jungles at night, ]
went to hunting for the cobra's hole.
Two large native fower-pots stood
about six feet from the end of the YER
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 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 apart for a person to stand
| between them. The hole went dowr
perpendicularly, growing larger as il
went deeper. 1t took but moment tc
bring 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
glistening scales of cobra coiled up al
rest.
Taking 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. l had missed
Turning the tire up edgewise, free
again. What squirming there was
The cobra had been wounded. II,
struck up viciously at the iron, which
was turned down fiat as soon as | hat
fred to keep him from darting out at us
l turned the iron edgewise and free
again and again. When had unloadet
the sixth barrel l let him strike hi
head out and caught it against the sid
with the iron tire. had brought witt
me pair of large hedge shears. Witt
these l caught hold of his protrudin,
neck, and with stout pull with boil
hands pulled him out and gave him
flirt out into the compound.
What a scattering there was of men
women and childrenl My attention ha,
been so taken up by the snake that
had not noticed what big crowd ha,
gathered around. How they screame,
and ran! for they did not know that tn
grip of the shears had dislocated tn
fellows neck, and, seeing full-size'
cobra flying out toward them, the,
seemed to think he was springing a
them.
AS had grasped the head OF tn
cobra with the shears l had given tn
wagon tire to the teacher, asking hin
to insert the end again instantly that
drew the cobra out, for where one cobr
is you will usually find a second.
came back and threw the rays of tn
sun in again. Yes, there were brigh
cobra's scales and another cobra wrig
Cling. Loading my pistol again, l re
peated the firing, hoping that he woul
strike his head out, so that could cate
his head also.
Squirm and strike as he did his hea,
did not come out of the hole till | ha
fired many times; but it finally cam
and L secured him also. On drawin
him out and examining him closely w
found fourteen pistol ball holes throug
his body, and still there was fight i
him. Any three of the wounds woul
have proved fatal in time, but he die
making splendid fight We laid tn
cobras out on the veranda and meas
ured them. One of them measured fiv
feet eleven inches and the other six fee
and two inches, than which one rarel
finds cobra larger Their hide showe
that they had evidently been livin
there right among the flower pots tina
were tended daily and within six feet @
our veranda and within twelve feet @
my study door for weeks or months
Though the cobra is the deadliest serpen
known, and thousands of persons die G
their bite yearly in India, no one in ou
mission has ever been harmed by one
Christian Intelligencer.
|
A Very Good Definition.
A little New York boy, Tomm,
Knickerbocker, whose father is promi