Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-10

examination proved that they simply
had not completely masticated and
swallowed the first mouthfuls.
Hogs Learned TO Swim.
Experience with the foraging hogs
taught the fish schools To swim far
Their from shore. This resulted in the
hogs Tearing to swim and dive. They
were seen at considerable distance
from shore, striving for their break
fast; occasionally they have been mis-
taken for Moro pearl divers.
In a season during which the hogs
were reduced to this extremity the
planter at Siasi harvested a bOunti-
full crop Of corn from planting between
his young rubber trees. If he only
had hogs he might fatten them for
market and sell them to the Chris
tians of Jolo or Zamboanga. So he
experimental. He piled some Of the
ripened corn on shore and set fire to
it. The sea breeze waited the odor
to the isles where the hungry hogs
were following the primal law of self
preservation. When the hogs caught
the odor they tumultuously took to
sea ana crossed to Siasi. where the
planter fed them regularly on corn.
and tanned them by this practical hui
Indnity until they were fit 70 market.
Reseryiug d stock of the gentler
ones, he sold off the rest. lie Oh
served that in crossing the channel
1.-The hogs displayed much intelligence.
1t was the longest swim they had
made. They swan in rows, taking
turn about leading. The leader did
all the swimming, the others resting
forfeet on one another's rumps and
simply trailing. When the leader
grew tired he would grunt Il signal
and there would be d change of posi-
ton. In this manner they reached
Siasi without single casualty.
Saves Cobra's Life.
Another planter. in Cotabato, had
an odd experience with the King
| Cobra. the Indian fakir's mystic de
| liGht--a creature as dreadful in the
| MindanaO jungle as the Bagobo's poiS
/ uned arrow. Going down the river
| path one morning 70 lake the launch
/ for town, the planter was startled To
see a cobra impineed under u rock
which the heavy rains Of the previous
/ night had loOseued from the bank.
! The cobra had no hope Of escape: it
| could not wriJhe free from the rock
and its back had been severely
| bruised by the impact. The planters
| first though was 10 dispatch it, but
! the appeal of suffering in its eyes
/ stayed his hand. He himself had
/ struggled alone in his hut with the
( pangs of black fever; he knew what
/ jungle pain was. His aroused sym
! pathy soon convinced him that if he
! released the reptile il would not harm
| him.
| He released it. rolling the rock away
slowly and letting il plunge into the
/ river at the foot Of the path. The
/ snake was instantly grateful. II
4 showed its gratitude by crawling slow
! " and painfully toward the planter
! and alternately raising and lowering
/ its head. When il was close enough
! it licked the planters hand. Finding
/ he had Won the reptiles confidence,
| the planter picked il up and carried It
/ back to his house (Which with grow
! ing prosperity had replaced the origi-
/ nal hut, and there il lived with him
! for several years, COilinG on chair
in the Office by day and resting, coiled
and alert, ON his bed by night.
OF course il was a perfect protection
. To the planter at all times. He called
il slender" 1t soon learned its name
and would follow him 10 the fields; if
it seemed tired he would allow II 10
coil around his arm.
Cobra Catches Thief.
At last It was necessary for the
planter to voyage 10 Manila. In a
convenient basket Slender went along,
| having the run Of the planters little
! room in the walled city when he
registered at the Orieute Hotel. Iav-
ing marketed Manila hemp, copra and
! a few tons OF crude rubber. the planter
had several thousand pesos in cash.
AS he wished 10 take the money back
TO Cotabato to make plantation extern
sionS. he made no deposit but kept the
| money with him at the hotel. One
| night he was awakened by a sudden
cOmmotion in the room. Chairs were
knocked over: the bedstead was
! soundly thumped as from some phys
/ zeal struggle. and stified shrieks were
heard Guests in neiEhboring rooms
We're awakened also. and one turned
on the lights. which revealed that
Slender had caught thief who had
intended To rob the planter. The rep
tile had "A good hold on the fellow :
neck and an equally secure one on u
window post.
Hhe CLEAN in the cobra's eyes
seemed TO inquire: Have l not been
faithful? See what YOU would have
lost had 1 not been on guard
When he was spoken To kindly by
the planter, Slender released his man
| without striking. The Manila police
did not share the planters apprecia-
ton of his eccentric pet, however, So
{
| to the city.
The python, of course, is often har-
| bored in houses of planters to abate
the rat nuisance But the python is
of a placid temper and has no deadly
| strike such as the cobra. 1t merely
strangles its prey and seemingly there
are no authentic cases of its ever hav-
ing violated the sanctuary rights il
| enjoys above the ceiling. Men have
been killed by pythOns, but only in the
jungle path. where he has posted him
self for game. He is wont to spy out
the deer runs. and there suspend him
self by Coiling his neck around a limb
at point which permits his body to
bangle freely straight over the path,
like a loosened branch or vine. The
first animal along the path naturally
| falls into his tolls. The huge reptile
makes no distinction if the animal be
| q man.
The instances of the kindly King
! Cobra and the Misunderstanding
| hogs are being meticulously investi-
| gated before being fully accented bV