Omaha daily bee., 1901-02-13

Then he ran diligently across the fields
many acres OF felds-betore he stepped.
Presently the Memsahib called loudly for
her dinner and the cook went in with his
two friends. II was terrible thing 70
do, but Sundoo had taken gin, or arraek. or
something from the black bottle, and with
drunken miscalculation thought the
Memsahib would be pleased with the ex-
hibition. When she tainted, It occurred TO
him that he had failed in his efforts TO
amuse: so be went back. cheaply enough.
and put the king eobras in the box. seold-
/ ing them for having frightened his mistress
| It is not written in any book what punish
ment sundoo got for that when the sahib
came home. but sundoo knows. He will
never forget. -.
After that the hamsdryss we're sent UP
TO my bungalow al the Borongos. did not
| know that their sole article OF diet was
other snakes. and tried them with rats,
mice, frogs and birds, but they would eat
| none OF these.
| One day a dissipsted young rock snake.
about four feet long. staggered into the
bungalow. now the hamadryss had
always appeared as though they were spoil
ing for hght, so transferred the lsrrikin
to their box. His advent started a civil
war: the two cobras rolled UP their sleeves
and went al it, while the newcomer
covered in a corner. with his head hidden
under the folds of his body.
| II was a terrible battle. They grabbed
each other by the neck with their fangs
and coiled their bodies together; they
threshed up and down the big box until one
was beaten. The defeated cobra skunk into
a corner. coiled himself up and stroye 20
hide his head under the coils, as the rock
snake had done. The victor stood over him,
striking vieiously upon the slightest move
ment on his part. Then, when thoroughly
convinced that all the fight had been
knocked out OF his mate, the conqueror
pulled the intruder from the other corner
. by his head and swallowed him. It took
about six minutes for him 10 accomplish
this feat.
All the bones in a snakes head are loose
and they can even shove one naxiliary. or
; side OF the Jaw. forward, independent Of the
| other. and the cobra showed this snake
| straight down his throat by means OF these
. flexible teeth. That solved the food ques
) tion. After that when snakes strolled into
: the bungalow they wound up in the hama
! drya's box. There was always a battle and
] always a feast sfterward.
They were very pugnacious, those two
: and sometimes fought each other wher
there was really no purse in sight. wher
/ caught them at this used 10 pull III,
{ slide door in the top OF the box and whiI
! them with a small cane.
: Every morning the servants soused thu
=. box with water TO cleanse ii, one da!
= while il was being washed out l heard
- great commotion and cries OF The snak,
$ IL OUT" The servants all fed except
o China Burmo lad named Joe" He told n,
z the cobra had gone into the provision room
70 rigged up a short bamboo snare and wen
{ on a shiksr for the naga. I found hin
among some cocoanuts on the floor. Whel
e went In he raised his body about tw
;, feet and hissed loudly. I tapped him on tn
z nose with the bamboo. and, rememberin
e the whippings l had given him in the boz
r he dropped and glided In and out smCn
i the cocoanuts. But he was too clever Z
d stick his head in my bamboo moose: he wen
(, under ii and over II, but never through Il
Is once or twice he raised up threateninsIy
but a tap from the bamboo brought hir
n down again.
e At last, just as he had evaded = care
$ fully planned trap and was gliding by,
impatiently forgot all caution, and. pos
y sessed OF a sudden impulse. darted out N
y hand and grabbed him by the neck. Ny hol
q vas so close 10 his head that there was q
IL chance of his striking me while ! held OF
n could feel the pulling back Of his muscl,
10 and gripped him with much strength.
II As emerged from the storeroom eve
J. joe took 10 his heels.
le The problem OF how | vas 10 get rid
re his suAkeship bothered me considerably
trailed him toward the box, al arm
n length, 70 prevent his reaching my body.
Z the box ! pulled the upper slide. put h
D. head at the opening. and, feeling b
2 muscles set in that direction. released n
ot hold and stepped back quickly. He glid'
e. quietly in, ! closed the lid and took a b
ir lungful OF air. II is not pleasant thin
II to capture q cobra with the bare hand.