The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-08-22

! cobra. is known to he revengeful, and
the natives OF South India affirm that
the mate is quite sure of avengIng
the destruction of. or injury to. its
fellow An engineer friend told me
the following. which tends 10 verify
what the natives hold to
During some big bridge repair
works. when small town for the
officers and workmen had been es-
tablished on the river bank. an Indo-
Portuguese contractor named De
Monte. who. with his family. occupied
one of the temporary bungalows. dis
, covered and killed large female CO.
| bra in his bedroom
The nat!ves-even Mohammeda ms
and outcasts-so far from jubilatins
over the dangerous intruder's destruc-
ton, were loud in their forebodings.
and warned De Monte of the newt
able fate in store for him. De Monte
! laughed all this to scorn. averring
that when Mr.. Cobra chose 10 cross
his path he would be ready for him
Well. days and weeks passed and
De Monte still lived TO ridicule those
who had predicted his speedy death
by snake-bite. However, one evening.
about two months after he had kill
ed that female cobra. he had ocCa-
sion TO enter the "godown" or store
room-somewhat removed from the
''town"-where he kept such articles
a blasting powder. fuses. etc.-a par,
and parcel of the plant" necessary
for his work. Unless he required the
removal of powder barrels or similar
~ heavy goods. he never permitted
any one else to penetrate TO this room.
and on the ocCas sion in question he had
gone in 10 inspect his stock of slow
match.
AS he manipulated the stuff. he heard
a slight noise and. on turning. he be-
held with horror a large snake between
him and the door. The expanded hood.
the foot or so of body raised on end. and
the angry kissing proclaimed the truth:
it was the cobra: The predictions of the
natives flashed across his brain: he
thought his time had come: the male
cobra the mate of the reptile he had
done to death with is own hand. had at
last found him out, to sting him to
death
De Monte came from the Northwest
frontier railway. where he had learned
never TO be without his revolver. The
habit chung to him. and even here. in
peaceful Madras. he and his pistol kept
company: moreover. he wore knee boots,
another result of his rough-and-ready
life among the wild tribes of the region
he had so recently left.
Well. quick as thought De Monte
pulled out his revolver. The movement
excited the snake. for he at once launch
ed forward and struck at the mans leg.
but the boot protected him. He fired and
missed. Again the cobra dashed its fangs
into the impervious leather. Again De
Monte fired. wounding the reptile. which
now wriGgled up to him. threw his coils
around the mans leg. and. manned as
he was. set to swarming upward. In
desperation De Monte fired again; the
ball pierced the cobra's head and lodged
in his own instep'
The reports attracted people to the
building. and when they burst open the
door they were Mortified to see De Monte
streaming blood from the wound in his
foot. and a big snake whipping out his
life on the floor. with a perforation clean
through his head; this. too. mind you. in
small room stocked to the chocks
with combustibles, which required but
spark to create a blow up" the possible
ma gnitude of which it sickened the heart
even to contemplate
Coryrsht ty the Mcclure Newspaper syndicatel