The times., 1901-03-24


lar Encounter Which He Witness
ed in Indin-Combatants Displayed
Great Science in the Contest.
Mr.. Walter Paris. an artist by profes-
sion, an Englishman by birth, and we'll
known in this city, where he visits fire.
ouently, recently described a fight which
he witnessed in India between a cobra
and 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 ! viii show
him an entertainment which viii divert
him if he feel so inclined"
Mr. Paris being SO inclined, signifed
his desire to witness any entertainment
which should have the effect of diHerting
him The snake charmer thereupon
opened one of the boxes and took cut OF
II Il large cobra, thus causing Mr.. Paris
to start back somewhat abruptly, and
with an emotion Icy no means connected
with the idea of diversion. The man as
sured him, however. that there was no
danger. and. holding the Wriggling rep
tile ia one hand, opened the ether box
and let loose upon the floor little ami
NAL Resembling somewhat ferret in ap-
pearance.
The Hinloo then teld Mr.. Paris to
station himself in one corner of the
apartment which he accordingly did.
The monEoose seemed at first disposed
to make Tor the door, until ne saw the
snake in the hand of the ci1armeT, 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 It's
body in q graceful backward curve with
its neck distended until it resembied
hood or cowl. At the same time its eyes,
fun Of rage. glinted like black diamonds.
''7he handsomest brute I ever saw IL my
fife said Mr.. Paris, with all an artist :
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-
ton. it leaped upon IL with the qUickness
of tightening. drawing with its rat-like
teeth. FIRST blood in the fight.
The battle was a beautiful one said
Mr. Paris. y never saw more science
displayed between two professional prize
4 he On noe rt
hatants 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 10 get in its work after every
stroke Of its adversary, when the jaws
of the reptile were closed in an impotent
snap.
The moHgoose was. so far as 1 OBJ
served, struck but twice during the fight,
and on these occasions il ran quickly
outside as the snake charmer told Fae. 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, il is not effective
or the human subject. The -cOolness AMI
sangfroid Of the mongOoOse were eK-
tra0rdinary, and in decided contrast 10
the fury OF the snake. he tile animal
watched its opportunity and invariably
made for the head Of its opponent, while
the latter was helpless fer a few mo-
menJs at the completion Of one cf its
sabne-like strokes. This method 81 at
tack and defense which nature has con-
ferrcd on the cobra IN common with the
rest Of the eiapine ErOaD OF serpents, -
by no means 50 effective as thft en-
ployed by the viper family. he Ter
de lance iiron lance, for instance, that
fearful scourge Of the West Indies, coils
itself innoceHtiy IN co8cenJric rings. and
then. using its tail a point appui
t darts toward the object Of attack with
almost absolute certainty Of ann, its ia Us
oistended at an angle Of $50 degrees and
Its falgs pointing straight OutNTai dS.
The mongoose, ! may obseye, has no
show whatever with the fer de lance.
With the cobra all that the little animal
has to do is to await and avoid (Which
latter IS 10y no means so dinlculD the
downward stroke Of the reptile and then
make for the back OF it, head while II is
endeavOring 10 recover itself.
''T'o retIru 10 the fight N question. The
cobra soon became thoroughly -queercd-
1t hit about IN all directions. while its
disteroed hood was rrd with blood, and
its eyes seemed literally to Hasa IRE. Nus
tering all its strength for one last effort,
the magnificent reptile er-cgaI Itself 10
its fun height ard made = desperate blow
at the mongooSe with such .3rCL That.
had il hit the latter direct. II must GER
tainly have killed il
AS II was, the snake struck its open
mouth against the floor, and had the
place not been covered with a thick IN
dian mat. IL must have broken its Jaws
Its fangs became imbedded in the doth
so that II could not eXtTicate its head
thus presenting 10 It's adversary an Op-
portuniJy Of which the latter did not fiji
70 take advantage. In "A few seconds the
already BADLY mangird lcad Of lna CO.
bra became puip between the active jaws
OF the mOngGOSe, VINO had thus disposed
GEnGtlHEf he