The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-11-18
The
PETTED SNAKE.

When Ralph was sent out to learn the
intricaces of the coffee planting business
in Cevlon, years ago, he was duly grateful
to his guardians for finding a career for
him, but was slightly dubious himself as
to whether he would care much for that
sort OF thing.
He studied books about the place and
read OF panthers, elephants, elk and snakes
living in profusion there. He felt some
what alarmed being, you know, merely a
harmless studious youth OF some Il years
old, who had not the slightest desire to kill
an elephant, so long as the elephant did
not want to kill him.
Ralph rad one particular servant, whom
he had to engage and pay himself-De
Silva, Cingalese. The other help came
from the coole lines Of the estate, and
after their days work, used to retire to
their huts. When dinner in the evening
was over De Silva used to retire also.
Where he retired to, Ralph never inquired.
At env rate, after the days work was
done, unless he vas invited to dine with
the psradore, Ralph was utterly alone
with no white man nearer than the big
bungalow, !! miles away, down the
mountain.
He used to sit and Try 10 read the maya
zines eNnt out to him, and his books, but
the terrible silence Of the mountains-wel
come to all older man-frightened him.
That silence would he broken sometimes
by furious tom tom orgie at the huts of
a native woman, mourning her dead child,
or, again, by a sudden tropical thunder
storm, with such crashes Of thunder echo
ing ar, the mountains, and such tor
rents Of rain as filled the boys timid soul
with terror.
1t was in the midst of one such storm,
when the reading lamp was low, and it
was near midnight, that Ralph, longing
for a companion, for some one to talk to,
looked up and saw Magog. Ralph gave
one tremendous howl and rushed out
through the back door to seek De Silva.
De Silva was placidly asleep on the couch
he had chosen for that night-a shelf just,
one would think, broad enough for the
crockery it was intended TO hold. Still,
De Silva look ed comfortable.
"a cobra" yelled Ralph, pulling the
cook down on the floor without regard to
his feelings "A cobra! A snake A SER
pent! ! monster
Mue,e:" cried De Silva, jumping o. a
chair.
SIN she sitting-room, hanging half way
cloth in old bungalows whiteWashed can
vas often cracking at the walls, is stretched
beneath the Iafters, and looks just Ii e All
ordinary ceiling, land was coming at
me-
DE Silva looked at Ralph reproachfully,
and st his shelf bed ,egretfully,
80 honorable dore, said he, ut is
Magoa lid you not know? 1t il the
special TREND and protector of my last hon
orable dofe No cohra-no, dure. Only
one g,sat, r.aunful, much to be caressed
Iatsnakc, Nagog.'
So DE Silva vent vita his young master
into t.a 'aa@-)rw and introduced him to
Ma5o&--the snake. MagoG hung Just a.
Ralph rad described him, half way down
the wall, It great, fat, black snake, with
quiet, steady, watchful eyes OH the ,uolu.
Ithune ready, at a flash Of dread, to draw
itself W aoovc the ceiling cloth and dis
appear in lis lai! there beneath the bamboo
thatch, where it hunted the rats. which
fought with it for home.
"No Mogog," said De Silva, explaining
''then too many rats and mice"
In fact, Magog was the house cat
De Silva took a saucer and filed it with
cocoanut milk and placed it on the floor in
Magoa's conner. Ralph shuddered when