Year: 1869

CooId III CdpellO, WnlCn occurred 10 d
gentleman who was reposing under a
tamarind tree alone, after a day of
shooting:


| was aroused by the furious bay
ing of my dogs; on turning round, |
beheld snake of the cobra di capello
species, directing its course to point
that would approximate very close
upon my position. In &n instant l
was upon my feet. The instant the
reptile became aware Of my presence,
in nautical phraseology, it boldly
brought to, with expanded hood, eyes
sparkling, neck beautifully arched,
the head raised nearly two feet from
the ground, and oscillating from side
to side in manner Indicative of a
resentful foe. | seized short bam-
boo, left by one of the bearers, and
hurled it at my opponents head. |
was fortunate enough to hit it beneath
the eye. The reptile Immediately fell
from its imposing attitude, and lay
apparently lifeless. Without mo-
ment's reflection, | seized it little
below the head hauled it beneath the
shelter Of the tree, and very coolly
sat down to examine the mouth for
the poisoned fangs of which natural
lists speak so much.


While in the act of forcing the
mouth open with stalk, felt the
head gliding through my hand, and,
to my utter aStonishment, became
aware that | now had to contend
against the most deadly of reptiles
in its full strength and vigor. Indeed
| was in a moment convinced of it; ;
for as | Heightened my hold of the throat,
its body became wreathed round my
neck and arm. | had raised myself
from a sitting posture to one knee; !;
my right arm, to enable me to exert
my strength, was extended. | must,
insuch an attitude, have appeared hor-
rltied enough to represent deity In
the Hindoo mythology, such as we Of
ten see rudely emblazoned on the por-
tails OF their native temples. 1t now
became matter Of Selfdefence. To
retain my hold, itrequired my utmost
strength to prevent the head from es-
Gaping, as my neck became purchase
for the animal to pull upon.


If the reader is aware of the uni
versal dread in which the cobra di
capello is held throughout India, and
the almost instant death which inva-
riably follows its bite, he will, in some
degree, be able to imagine what my
feelings were at that moment; shud-
der, a faint kind of disgusting sick
ness pervaded my whole frame, as |
felt the cold, clammy fold Of the rep
TILES body tightening round my neck.
To attempt any delineation of my SEN
sati0uS would be absurd and futile :;
let it suffice, they were most horrible.
| had now almost resolved to resign
my hold. Had | done so, this tale
would never have been written; as no
doubt the head would have been
/ brought to the extreme circumvOlu-
tlOn to inhict its deadly wound. Even
IN the agony OF such a moment, |
could pictureto myself the fierce glow
ing of the eyes, and the intimidating
expansion OF the hood ere it fastened
its venOmouS and fatal hold upon my
face or neck. To hold it much longer
would be impossible. Immediately
beneath my grasp there was an inward
working and creeping of the skin,
which seemed to be assisted by the
very irmuess with which | held it
my hand was gloved. Finding, in de-
fiance of all my efforts, that my hand
was each instant forced closer to my
face, | was anxiously considering how
to act in this horrible dilemma, when
an idea struck me that, was it in my
power to transtix the mouth with some
sharp instrument, it would prevent
the reptile from using its fangs, should
it escape my hold of it. My gun lay
at my feet the ramrod appeared the


very thing required, which, with some


difficulty, succeeded in drawing out


having only one hand disengaged.


My right arm was now trembling
from over exertion, my hold becoming


less firm, when happily succeeded il


passing the rod through the lower


jaw up to its centre. 1t was not with


out considerable hesitation that | sud


denly let go my hold of the throat


and seized the rods in both hands


at the same time bringing them over


my head with sudden jerk, disengag


ed the fold from my neck, which hac


latterly become almost tight enough


to produce strangulation. There wa
then little difficulty in freeing my righ
arm, and ultimately throwing the rep
tile from me to the earth, where i
} continued to twist and writhe itself
into a thousand contortions of rag
and agony. To run to a neighborins


stream, to lave my neck, hands an(


face in its cooling waters was my frs
act after dispatching my formidabl
enemy.


- Ill Mothodictc NJ hntho,. mol o.