The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-04-11
THE COBRA's MATE.

~ LEY and 'Patsey" Dolan sat on
~ the veranda of the formers bun
j - galow in Madras one afternoon,
havig quiet cheroot, and. mayhap,
something far more cheering and enter
tanning. Certain it was that two long
thin glasses stood on little table be-
tween the two chairs. and Riley, for
one, would have turned his nose up,
had they been filled with ''limminade,"
or even plain soda. There were times,
however, generally in the early morn
ing, when plain soda in tumbler of
cracked ice did seem more fitting the oc-
casion and the need than any other
drink, not barring the tea itself, which
was all very well later on
Dolan heaved a sigh of content as he
set down his glass; it was the content
of a thirsty soul that had taken long
and deep of a cool drink on a sweltering
day.
''Ez l was sayin. Riley" he began,
putting industriously at the cheroot he
was lighting between times, they
hunts in pairs, they do, an if yez seen
wan of the blagards yez may rist ash
oored the mate av him is not far be-
yant. Cobras is like sojirs they goes
in pairs"
Mother Moses! Dan Did yez hear
that" and Dolan leapt to his feet as
though his glass had been knocked over.
"Phat is it, Dolan? Hez yer muther's
ghost peered at We through the gilmills
av the windy, or have We bin at Rus
! tonigees brandy sherab Yez allus do
get jumpy afther that sultan no
wonder One-eight a bottle fur it,
Plat kind Of Gtuff ..fva aypa,t fut. o,n-
eight"
rs any wan in the room behint,
Riley?"
"Divil a soul, bar perhaps, Kuddern,
| an he's over tn station gittin' orders
fur me-"
We'll, may | niver draw the lever on
ould 46 agin' eff l didn't hear deep
sigh there behint the windy. and a
voice l could swear waz a swate ovid
home voice such ez ye'd hear near
Ballygowan (an' We know where tibet
en-, Dam, calm yer name in a piteous
whisper, wal1in' We up like"
"Ye blagard. Dolan! Is't takin' a
rise out az me yer doin? I've heered
av wheels in the head. Patsey. ez well
ez on the injin. Did yez walk much in
the sun Sunday whin Smith an you
shot the big bag av shnipe yez bought
from the shikari on yer way home?"
"Merciful hivinl Look at that" cried
Dolan, rising and pointing a trembli lg
finger at something out in the garden
among the crotons.
Did yez see the voice. DOlan. The
swate ovid Irish voice, Patsey?" lazily
inquired Riley, as he gathered hims IF
up to a sitting position in the deep arm
chair he had been lying back in. AS he
! did so his quick eye caught sight Of
! something that brought him up stand
ing.
Grabbing heavy Malacca from "a
pair of deer horns just over his head
he rushed out. closely followed by
! DOlan.
The enemy saw them coming and pre-
pared himself for the attack. Coiling
about half its length under him, he
swung the upper part of his body back
and forth. back and forth like the pen
| dulum of a clock only there was "A ter
rible suppleness about the sinuOus. I'M
| dulating movement that told plainly
with what lightning-like rapidity he
! could straighten it out and bury those
cat-like fangs in the shrinking flesh.
There was no banter now on Riley's
part. no thinking of that wailing voice
! beyond the easement on Dolan's; to-
gether, and terribly IN earnest. they ap-
preached the hooded fiend before them
Let either of them miss him and come
too near, carried forward by their own
/ impetuosity. just little too near, and
the fatal poison. lying there, just at ;he
base of those loose fangs, would be in
/ jected with devlish ferocity i'm the tiny.
! pin-like Dunctures
a wel-directed blow from Rileys
stout Malacca laid the snake out dead.
BE the powersr exclaimed Dolan,
but that's the biggest cobra l ever kim
across. He's nearly six fut ! thinl5:
and mind yer prowlin', Dan. fur. mark
my wurds. therell be divi av a mate
about here somewhere. Dye be care
| full when yer goin' out this blissed
night"
Have something TO take the taste av
the basic out av yer mouth, Dolan,"
said Riley, as they returned TO the bun
galow.
Just as Dolan was lifting the glass to
his lips he turned white and trembling
all over put it down again. Then he
raised it quickly and drained it at sin
gle draught.
'Shure. I'm afeared I'm in for a dose
of sun faver, Riley. I wud take me
oath heerd that same voice calm We.
Riley. At onny rate, I must be goin'
now. Do We be lookin' out fur that divil
av mate. Riley" was his parting in
junction.
"Rile Sahib not coming vet for alxine