THE CHARMER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 312, 24 March 1928, Page 27

THE CHARMER

Caro la was left in charge of her little brother in her parents’ bungalow. She was 17, freshly come from an English school to the Indian hill station. John, her brother, was five. He was very precious, as for ever so long she had feared she was going to be the only child. Everything was very still; her father and mother had gone to lunch with friends. the native servants were at a village festival. Carola was at the piano in the drawing room, singing in a sweet little voice that fluted like a bullfinch's, when suddenly a feeling assailed her that all was not well with the small brother whom she had left soundly asleep She left the song unfinished and tiptoed to his room. All was quiet within. John was sleeping, flushed and rosy, in his Little bed, the mosquito curtains being drawn, as it was day. But there was a strange, muskv smell in the room; and *vhat had the ayah left lying on the bed. stretching its length like a cable of old carved ivory? John stirred in his sleep, and the rope put up a hooded head. In a nightmare trance Carola stood by the door, not knowing what to do Half consciously she began to croon the cradle song she had been singing, and the boy settled down again. But the cobra Was attracted bv the music. With a dry rustling of hi:scales he poured himself down from the bed and came toward Carola. She had saved her brother; it was for herself she had now to fear. One** more she began to sing, and the snake paused, waving its reared head to anil fro. Backward she stepped, and the serpent followed. They were on the veranda. Carola knew' that if ish* stopped singing it would strike. How to call for help? The bungalow was empty. Louder and louder she sang, but changed the words of her song to the few scraps of Hindustani which she knew. “Nag, nag! Snake, snake! Come quickly or I die!” There was a shuffling of sandalled feet behind her; other music joined her song, the wheedling melody of the pipes. “Stand aside, missy sahib!” .said the snake-charmer. “Let old Ali deal with the nag.” Brushing past her, he squatted on his heels before the verandah, playing his pipes while the cobra marked time, swaying to and fro. Presently the charmer ceased playing. He advanced a skinny brown hand, holding a doubled-up cloth, toward the serpent. Swift as an-arrow the cobra struck and bit deep into the folds of tfc-? cloth. Ali gave the towel a dexterous twist and pull, and the poisonous iangs were drawn. “Join thy brethren in the basket." said the charmer, picking up the cobra and popping it inside his big pannier. “Thou art too fine a nag to slay.”