Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-02-24
TRAVEL TALKS
tI;y William f. Powers

i grass of the plains or hidden by th,
4 vines and underbrush of the immnas
nrable jungle there is the home Of tn
king cobra.
Swift and silently he moves abou
4 striking ar amy living being which il
! unfortunate enough TO appear in hi.
path. Cattle. horses, dogs deer, ante
lope, rodents and-human beings she
/ attacks and kills and no antidote has
ever been found TO deal with fhe dealt
/ mflicting properties of his poison. Yet
he does not live nor thrive Ola warm
blOOdcd animalS-true to his own worlt
he feeds on snakes Of various kinds ex
clusively,
Out in East India the weary laborcr
the "pariah" works peacefully in the
field. Fully aware of the danger that
| turks beneath the tail grass or the vines
of the unreasonable jungle. he carries
ont his daily duties: poverty does not
allow him the luxury of shoes or leg
gings and even gloves are beyond his
reach. \ multitude OF his kind. his
! BROTHERS. relatives and cO-wOrkers
could have done much to wipe out the
arch enemy. the king cobra. or any of
her varieties. however, superstition and
| religious traditions interfere and al
though on the constant lookout for the
dangerous reptile. he only stands ready
to flee from him at sight.
Out in India the cobra has struck.
Mortified and supplied by the fast
working poison which is already at
lacking his nerve centers the victim
is ready to prepare for the end There
out of the plains friend arrived and
upon seeing the danger. loses no time
III severing the bitten limb from the
quick stroke of the machetto. His life
is safe now. but he remains forever
mutilated. crippled.
Within the more or less civilized land
of the Free. among the busy jewellers
of cities. towns and villages is the home
of King Gossip.
Swift and silently, whispering only,
he moves about, striking at human be-
ings only. Neither president or bishop
are immune from him or his poisonous
fangS.
No antidOte has ever been found to
effectively cOunteract the destructive
properties Of his poison. Yet this de-
stroyer of peace, happiness and life
does not benefit from it's victims. Cos
sip lives on gossip only.
Within the peaceful town OF nor
thern state the weary wanderer has
found haven Peacefully he goes
about his work. always trying to please,
to help and to make others happy.
Fully aware of the danger that turks
beneath him and behind the walls OF
\ maze Of houses he carries out his
daily duties: he cannot afford the lux
ury of haShy clothes and the protecting
hands of lodges and societies are not
within his reach.
\ multitude of his kind c0-WOrkers,
friends or reformers could have done
a good deal to wipe out King Gossip,
however, social habits and traditions
are forbidden to criticize those VINO
are lltlulSlllS III SNtCt -ooSiP' "iA>A -
though in fear of his enemy he only
stands ready to flee from his sight.
Within the community of a prosper
Gus little town Of the North, King Cos
sip has struck. Supplied by the con-
temptible lies and through realization
of the motive the victim is suffering.
His mind, his peace disturbed, his bus
| mess damaged. his confidence III 9TH
| prs shaken. he prepares to await the
| worst There out of the unknown
comes his friend and with a decisive
stroke of the machetto he sewers the
poison infected part from the victim
body saving him for the time.
And the victim? Unlike his East IN
| dian brother he awakes to the fact that
the viper will have to be destroyed ant
silently and aided by his friends ne
will run down the arch enemy anC
bring him to his own bitter. end.
And between the twO-giye me the
cobra for he at least can be wiped out
i but the contemplate person spreading
/ falsehoods and insinuation. propagan
da and hatred is a good deal harder t.
do away with. Lucky East Indian.