The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-24
DEATH ENDED THE FIGHT
A Battle for Blood Between a
Cobra and a MOngOOse.
Mr. Walter Paris Describes Singh
lar Encounter Which He Witness
ed in India-CombatantsD Displayed
Great Science in the Contest.

lar Encounter Which He Witness
ed in India-Combatants Displayed
Great Science in the Contest.
MIR. Walter Paris. an artist by profess
sion. an Englishman by birth, and we'll
known in this city, where he visits fire.
quently. recently described a fight which
he witnessed in India between cobra
and a mongoose.
Mr.. Paris was sitting in his bungalow
one particularly sultry day. indisposed to
work, perhaps because of the intense heat
which, at that season of the year permit
ted Americans or Europeans to walk
abroad only in the early morning. Sud
denly his door was darkened. and look
ing up from a drawing which he had
been casually inspecting, he beheld
snake charmer such as is common in
India The man carried two boxes, one
in each hand. and on being noticed. made
a deep salaam and said, in fairly good
English:
IF the Sahib viii permit i will show
him an entertainment which will divert
him if he feel so inclined"
Mr. Paris being SO inclined, siGniied
his desire to witness any entertainment
which should have the effect of diEerting
him The snake charmer thereupon
opened one of the boxes and took cut of
IT large cobra, thus causing Mr.. Paris
to start back somewhat abruptly, and
with an emotion by nc means connected
with the idea of diversion. The man as
sured him, however. that there was no
danger. and. holding the wriggiing rep
tile in one hand, olened the ether box
and let loose upon the floor little ami
NAL Resembling somewhat a ferret in APP
pearance.
The ITindoo then told Mr.. Paris to
station himself in one corner of the
apartment. which he accordingly did.
The montoose seemed at first disposed
to make for the door until ne saw the
snake in the hand of the charrner. when he
manifested an almost frantic eagerness to
get at the terrible reptile. The latter was
now set down upon the floor, and in
stantly assumed a defensive attitude,
erecting a considerable portion of its
body in graceful backward curve, with
its neck distended until it resembled
hood or cowl. At the same time its eyes,
full of rage. glinted like black diamonds
1.-The handsomest b. ute l ever saw in my
life" said Mr.. Paris, with all an artists
enthusiasm. The cobra was quick; with
its jaws distended so that the erected
poison fangs cold plainly be seen. it
made a downward sweep at the mon
goose. but that little animal eluded the
vicious snap of the snake by adroitly
jumping to one side while, as the latter
presented its head in an available posi-
tion. it leaped upon it with the quickness
of tightening drawing with its rat-like
teeth. first blood in the fight.
THE battle was beautiful one, said
Mr.. Paris. u never saw more science
displayed between two professional prize
fighters. At the commencement the com
batants appeared to be about evenly
matched The cobra, however, became
more and more uncertain in its aim.
partly through its intense rage, doubtless,
and also because of the merciless wounds
inflicted on its head by the mongoose. The
latter, Of course, had an excellent oppor-
tunity TO get in its work after every
stroke of its adversary, when the jaws
of the reptile were closed in an impotent
snap.
1.-The moRgoose was. so far as l OBJ
served. struck but twice during the fight,
and on these occasions it ran quickly
outside. as the snake charmer told me. TO
obtain an antidote to the poison with
which il was stung. This antidote. by |
the way, is a very common herb in In |
dia, but strange to say, it is not effective |
on the human subject. The GOODNESS ana |
of the mongooose were ex- |
and in decided contrast to |
the fury OF the snake. The title animal |
its opportunity and invariably 1
made for the head Of its opponent, while |
the latter WAS helpless for a few mo- |
rnents at the completion of one Of its /
sa bre-like strokes. This method of at |
tack and defense which nature has con- |
ferrcd on the cobra IN common with the |
rest of the eiapine grogp OF serpents, -
ployed by the viper family. he fer !
de lance Cron lance, for instance, that 1
fearful .scourge of the West Indies, coils /
Itself innocentiy in concentric rings. and !
then, using its tail as point a.i5pUi. /
Il darts toward the object of attack with !
almost absolute certainty OF aim, its jaws /
distended at an angle OF 1S0 degrees and |
its fangs pointing straight outwai ds
THE mongoose, l may observe, has no |
show whatever with the fer de lance. /
With the cobra all that the little animal I
has to do is to await and avoid (which /
latter is by no means so difficulty the /
downward stroke of the reptile, and then 4
make for the back of its head while it is |
TO recover itself.
ITO retlrn 10 the fight IN question. The |
cobra soon became thoroughly -queered.- /
1t hit about in all directions. while its 4
hood was red with blood. and I
It's eyes seemed literally to Hasa fire Mus !
tering all its strength for one last effort, 1
the magnificent reptile erected Itself TO 1
its full height ard made = desperate blow |
at the mongoose with such .orcC that. |
had it hit the latter direct. it must GER |
tainly have killed it.
AS 1t was, the snake struck its open |
mouth against the floor, and had the !
place not been covered with thick IN |
dian mat, II must have broken its Jaws |
Its fangs became Undecided in the cloth /
so that 1t could not extricate its head. |
thus presenting to its adversary an Op-
portunity of which The latter did not fiii |
to take advantage. In a few seconds the /
already BADLY manglcd head of lha CO. |
bra became pulp between the active laws
OF the mongoose, who had thus disposed |
of the deadiiest SERPENT In the World