The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-02-09
Cobra Stories from India.

at was three years after the close Of
the Indian mutiny that l came near
losing the members of my mess in a
frightful way" said John Balm, who
served in the British cavalry in India
until thirty-odd years ago. "My COM
pany had been ordered into the Desh-
wur district, $50 miles north of Gavin
pore, 10 break up the dacoits, who had
become very troublesome there. l WAS
one of detail sent, under command of
a lieutenant, against band OF these
robbers who had made a stand in lit
tie jungle village. We arrived there in
the night, stormed their intrenchment
by moonlight, killed or captured a
round dozen of the dacoits, and chased
the rest into the jungle. Some of US
followed them on foot among the reeds
and bushes, but soon got tired of this
useless business and we're quite willing
| to stop and turn back at the sound of
the recall. Our hospital steward, ma
tive, and a good one, was by my side.
My capteen had been emptied on the
march, and l was parched with the
thirst that follows fighting. Some
thing among the bushes, glistening on
the ground, like water, caught my eye.
"Tt's stagnant pooi left by the
rains, but it'll serve to wet my throat,
/ said, and was for throwing myself
down on my very belly to drink from
it. But the steward pulled me back.
"'Nay, sahib, stayl Lend me your
sword for moment be said.
"He took the sword and lightly stir.
red the pool with it's point. From the
| r,iIlla af Tho nnnl a onhraio hooded
head arose, and there came the sound
Of its hateful hiss. With sweep OF
the sword the steward cut the reptiles
head off, and at once what had seemed
to me a water pool became the with
ing coils of serpent that had beer
fully six feet in length.
"'That was your pool, sahib,' the
steward grsvely said. 1T is we'll tina,
you paused before attempting to drink
from it,
"The white belly and greenish back
of the cobra, lying coiled in the moon.
beams, had looked exactly like water
pool. But for the stewards warning
should have thrust my face down into
that hideous COIL
"There was case l knew in which a
cobra saved British army officers
life-not intending in the least to do 80,
of course. The officer had gone with q
detachment to district in northern In
dia to bring to order one of the hill
tribes that had been making Robbery
and had killed a civil officer or two.
His quarters were at the bungalow OF
the magistrate of the district. He had
got things quoted down among the
tribesmen, and everything safe, TO all
appearance, and was preparing to take
things easy, when one night, sleeping
at the bungalow, he heard cobra
moving about in his chamber. A cobra
looking about for prey, or when ready
to fight, rears its head and about one
third of its body straight upward from
the ground, and as the bed on which he
lay was low one the officer knew that
if the cobra came to it he was very
likely to get bitten. At any movement
he made the cobra would hiss, showing
that it was in an unpleasant temper;
and, to make things worse, the officers
night lamp had gone out, 80 that he
could only judge of the snakes position
by sound.
she stood the strain as long as he
could and made up his mind that he
would at any rate get to place where
the snake could not reach him. A tall
dressing case stood against the wall,
about six feet from the head of the bed.
The officer reached out to chair, set it
half way between the bed and the
dressing case and then stepped from
the bed to the chair, and from the chair
to the top of the dressing case. There
he was safe from the cobra. AS he
perched on the dressing case in the
dark thinking how ridiculous and I'M
comfortable his position was two hill
men stole in at the door, rushed to the
bedside and struck fercely with their
tulwars the heap of bed clothing where
the officer had lain, before they dis
covered that he was not there. The
snake set up loud Kissing, which
seemed to convince the asssssins that
the officer could not be in the room,
and they went away without seeing
him, passing the dressing case not a
step away. The cobra presently crawled
out of the room through the door they
had left open, and the officer was able
to get down from the dressing case and
raise an alarm. The two hillman he
never caught, but he slept with senti-
mel at his door during the rest of his
stay in the district. New York Sun.