The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-25
LUCK OF THE BUNGALOW.
SNAKE IN CEYLoN THAT WAS THE
HOUSEHOLDS PRUTECTOR.

| Head of an Enemy-An English LADS
Experiences on Coffee Plantation.
When Ralph was sent out 10 learn the in
tricacies OF the coffee planting business in Cey-
Ion. years ago he was duly grateful to his
guardians for finding career for him. but
was slightly dubious himself as to whether he
would care much for that sort Of thing. On
| learning that he had to go to the PARKWAY
! English colony. he studied books about the
/ place and read Of panthers. elephants elk and
snakes living In profuslon there. and felt
somewhat alarmed. being merely a harmless.
studous youth Of some seventeen years old.
| who had not the slightest desire to kill an
elephant so long as'the elephant did not want
| to kill him. Raph read OF cobras and tic.
polongas and other venomous snakes OF the
island. until he was scared. and. by tho time
| his periadore. or manager. had installed him
| In the little BAN boo matched bungalow which
| he was to call his own he was In such state
| that'if you had trnilcd whiplash suadenlysbe-
| fore his unsuspectinG gaze. he would have
gone into Mysteries.
| Ralph had one particular servant. whom
| he had to engage and pay himseli-De silva.
| a Cingalese. The other help came from the
| cooe lines OF the estate. and. after their days
work. used to retire to their huts. When din
| ner in the evening was over. De Silva used to
retire also. Where he retired to Ralph never
| inquired. Indian servants have a way Of disap-
pearing and turning up again which would
| puzzle coniuror. There were n kitchen and
| All Clubhouse separate from the bungalow. and
| for all Ralph knew. De Silva. after salaaming
| and saying "Goonye. honorable sir" went
away to sleep on top OF the kitchen range.
At any rate. after the days work was done.
| unless he was invited to dine with the peria-
| dore. Ralph was utterly alone with no white
man nearer than the big bungalow a mile and
| l.1f IL. AL IA t.
| pleasant way to be left. ms Ralph was. fresh
| from homo and mother and sisters. He used
to sit and Try to read the magazines sent out
| to him. and his books. but the terrible silence
| of the mouptains-w welcome to an older man
| frightened him. That silence would be
| broken sometimes by a furious tom tom orRis
| at the huts OF the coolies or the long wall OF q
native woman mourning her dead child. or
| again by sudden tropical thunderstorm.
| with such crashes oil thunder echoing among
the mountains and such torrents Of rain az
| filled the boys timid soul with terror.
| 1t was In the midst OF one such storm. whom
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
md rushed out thrc ugh the back door t, seek
De Silva. De Silva was asleep on the couch he
| had chosen for that night. shelf Just broad
enough Tor the crockery 1t was intended to
hold STILL De Silva looked comfortable.
down eoOF S. se % ESgh . .aps hs
"'Mhefe?" cried De silva, jun ping on chair.
down the wall! 1t hangs from the csilna
cloth" In OLD bungalows, white washed canvas.
tbs raters and looks lust liketa.n ordinary cell
ing end was coming at me"
De silva looked at Ralph reproachfuly and
lig Rhelf- he'd rpRretfully
oh. honorable dore." said he. 1T IA Ma,
COG, Did you not know? 1t is the ,srecial
| friend and protector OF my last honorable dore.
No cobra-no, dore. Only one grent. beauti-
full; mpch s,, he, earessed ratsnake. Slaeog,
the bupaaIoE and Introduced him to Iaeog
thr-snGke: Magog hung lust as Ralph has:de-
Fat. black snake. with quiet. STEADY. watchfui
yes on 5ns o HS aS1e a6e
amboo tRatch whsrs hunted i the rats @hieS
fought With Eth for ho@ gIiy, ,xn,,nr
In fact MaRog was the house cat De silva
took saucer and filled 1t with coco9nut milk
and placed IL on the floor in MaaoRs corner.
Ralph slaughtered when he saw the rentile de,
nuito .ecure and .nrk nm RI. mil; *. III, n
smiled.
with your honorable favor. bring him dinner.
1t may be that the gods have not seen III to
lie lett Kaph alone. shudderine at his nrox-
unity 10 the Zig snake: 1t was monster for
4 rqtsngke. lutte I'VE feet II length and thick
ratsnnkes were not venomous. he VAS lar from
back with little squirmIng puppy. its eyes
"pon't!' Ralph cried but the snake had al.
ready darted for the little beast. swallowed It,
gorced II. Ralph could see Its undulous body
xii lt-kill IT." Ralph cried. and De Silva
contempt
:, No: d@re" said he 1T was my last hoaora,
was the luck Of the bungalow-I say right in
English? iest The luck Of the bungalow.
1t Vas his treasure; DO not KIN It,"
and in twinklinR cr1wled away again. De
Sya T Tf back 9 his shell and Roph
scamper o., rats on the, ceiling cloth; and af-
faint. f"rlorS squeak. and he Knew W.T. that tse Ma,
cog was doing its duty as a colonial house cat.
Ralph could not bear the thought OF its near
ness, He tried to conquer the feeling, but he
Poor Magog. used to being retted by its last
master. would nesr out from the ceiling cloth
TO d. Sh xoSd n m
Sa5sSnf and IoFTnsd b nsa sa's'
seIts Of Is silva war%!nr aud wshes s'' he IL,
Ms table with a revolver 10 hand, and, When
Magog appeared as usual he took aim and
fired. The bullet went into the wall: Magog
withdrew like a flash. De Silva came rush
N think hit the bruts." said Ralph. and
pointed to, SPOT of blood on the white
washed wall
,,",Qh! honorable dore,," said De Silva. super-
stit!ous rs his kind. 1T was tho luck Of the
ennaolow-say ! IL right Nv last dore said
And he went away to his kitchen borrowing,
but Ralph felt as Il he had done a good deed.
and rid the world OF hdeosity. No more
game Macog TO plague the Young slnnadore
For many nights the rats scamrered over the
ceiling cloth without any nursuer. Ralph. in
MS lonely evenings. looked at-the vacant
Il must have killed the horrid brute" said
avenged themselves by, eating him."
| SO the young sinnadOro rested. and told
when he was nj the periadore's bungalow for
dinner. how he had made a mnrvellously good
shot at the snake and rldded himself OF an In.
/ tolerable nuisance.
You oughtn't to have done that" said the
neriad0re. smoking his cheroot and smiling
uron the boy.
Why notF haze snakes-I abhor them. II
Maybe. hut they have their uses said the
peria lore. I'm Xii a cobra or tic poonga
quick as anybody, but would not Kill harm.