The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1906-08-10
An Amateur Snake-Charme1
~.N..J
Il, BRADLEY GILMAN.

queer, unCOutn lnStru umentS-D0tn
reed and string-in front OF the Ca
sino in Helwan, near Cairo. Several
wandering showmen were giving eX-
hibitions with trained monkeys,
| snakes and her animals; and the
piasters were pouring into their up
held tambourines.
One swarthy Snowman, quick and
cruel of hand, was putting a tired
mongoos through mis- tricks close by
| the kiosk in which | was seated,
nursing my rheumatic knee. The lit
| tie creature seemed intelligent
| enough, but was evidently exhausted.
| Presently he baked altogether, and
lay painting on the hot, yellow sand.
The ow er, eager for more pias-
! ters, at once gave him a sharp blow
with a stick, and was about 10 repeat
the blow, when young American
! girl of about fourteen, fair, clear
| eyed, sprang forward from the circle
! of spectators, leaping over a squirm-
! ing cobra hat lay in her path, and
caught the mans upraised arm.
Her eyes sparkled with indigna-
tion; and she spoke at first in her
mother tongue: Stop that! Stop it,
you cruel"
Then she remembered that the
Egyptian fellah probably could not
understand her, and she turned to
the few native words she knew: La.
la! (No, noD Moosh gwais! (Not
rightD Mat.drasch, matidrasch!
! (Don't strike, don't strikeD"
/ The Snowman may or may not have
understood her exact words, but he
could not mistake her determined ac-
tion and her indignant blue eyes.
His lips parted, and ! thought | de-
tected a CLEAN of defiance in his face;
but that quickly yielded to a mechan-
ical grin, his crafty eyes blinked
and he nodded obedience to her COM
mand. He was equally ready TO beat
the helpless little creature or TO re-
frain from beating him, according as
his hope of bakshish turned. He
now stepped over the painting mon
| COOS, stroked him with his lean, sin
ewy hand, and gabbled, Poo iii
beast. Poo lii BEAST" words which
he had probably caught, without any
very clear sense of their meaning,
from plying tourists. The girl re-
leased her hold on the stick, dived
into her pocket, and drew out little
harmoniCa, several fragments of
doubtful native candy, a scarab, and
several copper and silver coins. As
If completing a bargain, she counted
out four or five pieces Of money, and
gave them 20 the Snowman.
"There," she exclaimed. Take
that But don't let me see you strik-
ing that poor little thing again, If
do, III have you arrested, and
and tried before the American con-
sui; he's my uncle"
This happened in the forenoon.
/ The donkey-races were just begin
ming, and I hobbled away to watch
/ them.
In the afternoon, as the glare Of
the midday sun sensibly diminished,
] went out for ore of my somewhat
inirm promenades. Coming around
the corner Of the Cheriah Mohammed
Ali, just outside the now deserted
Casino garden, ! saw several Of the
showmen and their trained animals
and properties" sitting or lying in
the warm sun, against the white wall
Of the Hotel des Bains.
An Arab with a cobra lay at the
end Of the line. I recognized him
by the ox-skin bag in which such as
he carried their reptiles. A few peo-
pie, natives or tourists, were walking
along the shady side Of the street,
which I found myself instinctively
seeking.
One Of these tourists was opposite
the cobra-Arab, when I saw him stop
and look across the street with some
intentness. As ! came near him, my
gaze followed his; and felt tremor
of uneasiness and fear as ! saw the
horrid brown head Of the cobra pro-
( jecting from the bag, and thrusting
this way and that in restless curiosi-
II.
Another moment and the creature
clided quite out of the bag, and his
brownish-gray body extended its five
feet Of length along the dusty side
walk. His owner was all uncon-
scious OF passing events-probably
too drunk, even IL he had been awak-
ened, TO recover his reptile.
The man beside me exclaimed, 81
don't like the appearance OF that!
What had we better do?" But I had
no plan TO offer. The creatures
fangs might have been drawn, and
again they might not have been. IN
either case, did not care to 20 near
\ him.
By this time several other people
had noticed us, and stood watching
the now excited and active serpent.