THE MAILS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8003, 14 December 1905, Page 4

THE MAILS.

THtiRSD.VY, DECEMBER 14. For Wellington and Scuth, per Kotciti, at 10.31* a.m. For AucEfaml and North, per Ta- ■ Laptraa, at 7 p.m. FRIDAY. DECEMBER IV For Australian States at O.lu a.m.. <lut' Sjdney !><t.- 2<>. For South Africa, per Suphorles |rom Melbourne at 6-l."> a.m., due Durban about Jan. I<>. For Auckland and Xorth, per Rarawa, at T p.m. SAXL'RHAY. DECEMBER 10. For Auckland and Xtrth per Takapuna, at 7 p.m. . For Australian States, etc., at 7 p.m., due Sydney Dec. 2'i. For Ceylon, India, China, Straits Settlements, Mauritius, Mediterran tan Ports, Continent of Europe and United Kingdom, via Suez tfor cor respondence specially addressed only) at Z p.m., due London Jan. 27. Fared mail for Continent of Eu- „ rope and United Kingircm, per Rimntaka, closes at Wellington on Dec. 21, due London Jan. 30. New South Vales regulations proTide that articles addressed tot Oil-" bert, Elliee, Santa Cruz, Shortland, Basks, Union and New Hebrides Qroap and Ocean Island cannot be accepted (or registration, nor can registered correspondence tor -any of them be received. An- arrangement ban been sanctioned lor transmission of registered mail matter for British Solomon Islands, via Sydney. T* D. HOLDSWORTH. CUet-FoaUnastar.

Ibe Wrath of the Gods. " M'sieu' very fond of snake*," LoaU Napoleon remarked, regarding my eage fall of young ripen with u nnfriendly eye. "He go long way to get them, he pat them in nice box, he make them very fat and happy. He make me think of the time when I lire in Whydah." t naturally inquired why my fancy for •atke collecting aroused these memories in the breast of Louis Napoleon, whereupon that worthy settled himself upon a biscuit Kb and explained. " Weil, it lite this, M'sieu.' In Whydah the snake sacred—what you call ' fetish.' In Wbjdah they hate big snake houses wherein* snakes live andgrowfat.andno oua don't dare kill them or make them angry, 'cause if you do the priests have you tie up in the sun and flog—or worse. "M'sieu' ever been in Whydah? No J Well, it is just the sort of place that make you wish, when you see it first, that you never been born ; and if you live there little bit it make you want to die pretty quick. And you don't care much which way you go when you die, either, so yon get away from Wbydah I / " The place just one sandbank and nothing else, with a beach that have the worst surf I knov, and the sharks—ah 1 like white devils! The beach nothing but sharks;and the town nothing but makes; and behind, one great big marsh, where no one can't no -and that Whydah. * " I go there to cook for one French trader —M'sieu' Henrionnet they call him. He very fine man that, young and gay and not caring for nothing. He live in one tumble down white house, and yet he laugh and he sing and he no care nothing about Wbydah. He always gay—he always good to me. H there good dinner, he laugh : if there not nothing at all, he laugh, too. He have one little old piano, and when the soup burn he sit down and play the 'Marseillaise'. And I tike him very well, though he don't know nothing about what he eat—no, not nothing at all I "But the way he go on make me afraid, 'cause he no care nothing about sharks, and he no care nothing about snakes, and he jus* laugh at me when I say, ' Don't do nothing to make the priests angry.' Hesaythepriests no hurt him, nor the snake gods, either, and then he sit down at the piano and play the 'Marseillaise.' "And one daywien he talk like this about the priests and -the snake gods, and sit down to play the I see something black moving in the verandah; and I stop laying the breakfast and look, and presently I see on* big black snake corning in the window. •■ Well, I stand there wjjq the plate In myhand and don't know how to put it down, 'cause I know M'sieu' Henrionnet laugh at the gods and tile priests and the snakehouse, and say if be see any snake round his place he kill him dead. So I Btand there wilb A tbe plate and look at the snake, and then at M'sieu' Henrionnet sitting at the piano with his head in the air, singing the ' Marseillaise.' " The snake he come in through the window, and M'sieu Henrionnet sing and play and don't see him ; and the snake come nearer and nearer, and I see it listening to M'sieu HesrionneL It great big snake, the largest I eVer see, almost black, with the little yellow eyes, small and bright like stars. And presently be stretch himself up and begin to move to and fro—to and fro—just like he dance ; and the louder the M'sieu' Henrionnet sing and play, the quicker the snake move. " Present M'sieu' Henrionnet turn round and see it, and then I go cold all down the back; but he just bust out laughing like a big child, and say the snake a very agreeable snake what like the music same as himself, and he begin to play everything he can think of to please the snake. So I see he not going to kill it, and I go away »nd leave them there, the snake dancing, and M'sieu 1 Henrionnet singing like he gone mad. " After that, the snake take to him like a dog. It curl up in his room night-time, it conic for bread and milk when he have dinner, itdance when he play the Marseillaise.' And be laogb and call it bis little friend, anil I feel very glad, 'caoee 1 know the prie*t9 not do no harm to. M'sieu' Henrionnet while he feed that big black snake. " Well, it go on thie way one, two, three months, and then M'sieu' Henrionnet go away back to France for a little while, and I stay behind with the snake, That seem very dull and sad, 'cause then u one to play the" Marseillaise. " Presently M'sieu' Henrlor.net come back with one little Flench girl what he marry in Paris—the prettiest little French girt you ever ?ee, that don't look no more than a child. *

" Well the very day they come it begin. The little madarne she go roaming all over tbe boose, and presently she give one big scream, what bring me and M'sieu' Henrionnetqnicktosee what happen to her. And she cntch hold of M'sieu' Henrionnet, like tbe earth going to fall away under her, and call out that one great, terrible, horrible snake frightened her to death. " Well, there was the snake curl up in the corner; big and black, with the little yellow eyes shining like two handles: and if the little Madame don't like the snake, the snake don't like her, for he open his mouth and hiss at her and she scream worse than ever. But M'sieu Henrionnet just laugh and call her one little fool, and say the snake friend of his what come to pay the compliment to Madame, and she leave screaming and laugh too, and they come down to dinner.

" Bnt it very strange thing that the snake, what loved M'sieu' Henrionnet, so well, never seem like he love madame one little bit. She give him bread and milk, she play him the piano, but he won't take her bread and milk, and he won't dance to the music she plays, and he hiss when she come near him; and M'sien' Henrionnet laugh and say his friend the snake jealous of his little wife, * Bat me, I no like the way that snake iook at madame out of his little yellow eyes. I try to drive him away, bnt he won't leave the house ; he behave like one spoilt Aild. And presently Madame she not try no more to make him friends; she call him bad and stupid; but I see she don't like him, no more than I do. For it not good to have big snake in your boost, when he feel like that

"So the snake J» coil up tight tod watch the little Madame, and M'sieu' Henrionnet laugh, but I no laugh, 'cause I think things. And one day I tell M'sieu' Henrionnet I think I take the big chopper and chop off the head of that snake and bury him quick, so the priests don't know.

" But M'sien' Henrionnet get very angry and say be won't have his little friend the make kill; and I say. Which does he love tbe best—his little French Madame or his friend the snake? And then he get very vex and call roe sacre fool, and I say 'Yes, I sacre fool not to kill the snake before I speak to him at all; and I go away and fall over the snake coming in, and he open his mouth and hiss and look at me very wicked out of bis little yellow eye, and I feel very bad, 'cause I think he hear what I say. " Well, after that day I watch the inaka all dey and shut him up at night, and he surl up in the corner and look at me so I lon'l (like to see him, and feel the edge of he chopper, and think I make him come to eryquick end one day soon. *' And then there come one fine, white light, when M'sieu' Henrionnet go to tax*

dinner with a Mend of his, a captain of mt little steamer that run into Whydah... He go away very gay and happy, and singing like he always do, and I take up the dinner to Madame, and talk, to her while she eat so she not feel lonely. And presently I take her up the cafe noir, and go' away to wash dish, and she begin to play piano, and thi ■nake wake up and want to go and listen. But I catch him and put him under one great big calabash, and put something heavy on top, and I think I get him very safe and flioeS " Well, presently the little Madame gel tired, and ask me for a light, and Bay the bonsoir and go to bed. It very hot night, and when I done wash dish Igo sit in the verandah, and sleep, till M'sieu' Henrionnet come home and wake me up. And then I &Bk him if he have the pleasant evening, and he say yes, and take a light, and go of) to his room. " But me, I remember the snake undfr calabash, what no have supper, and I go 'l give him some ; and I find the weight I put on top of the calabash lying on the floor, and when I take up the calabash there not no snake underneath 1 "I stand there one, two, three minutes, and I don't know why, but I feel very sick; and I hear M'sieu' Henrionnet go along the passage to the room of madanie, and thenjust hold my breath. "But I don't hold it long, M'sieu', 'cause I hear him call me, only it don't seem his voice that call. And Igo up and find him standing by the bed, and his face it all gray and terrible, like a face I never see before; and he look at the bed and then at me, and all he say is 'The snake—the snake!' "And I look at the bed too, M'sieu', and there I see that poor little madarne lying dead, strangle in her sleep, choke and kill by that black devil what hate her always. I see the mark on her poor little white throat, just where she wear the pretty pearls that M'sieu' Henrionnet give her. The pearls they all crush and the white flesh the all black and bruise; and M'sieu' Henrionnet stand by her side with his gray face, and point to her and say, 'The snake—thesnakel' "Presently I get him away and give hht brandy, and go look for the snake. I hunt high and low, up and down; I move every chair and shake every curtain; there not no snake left in that house. "And then I bear little sound, and turn round and see M'sieu' Henrionnet standing there with one thick stick in his band. And he go out, and I follow him, 'cause I not know what be going to do. "He go right through the town, where everyone asleeep; and then I see what he going to do, for there before him I see the snake house where the snake-gods live and grow fat. And I catch him by the arm and beg him to go home; but he very strong; he put me one side and go on. "So he go into the snake-house and close all the doors so nothing can'tgetaway. The moonlight comes through the holes in the roof, and I see his face like the face of one evil beast; and the green branch bung all about rustle, and the snnkes wake up, and I see the little eyes shining in the moonlight. They think it the priest come to feed them, and they come oown from the branch, and crawl out of the corner, this way, that way, till the whole floor of the house just nothing but snake. And then M'sieu' Henrionnet begin with his stick, and he don't leave off till there not one snake left alive. "And presently, when all the snakes dead, he seem like he tired out, he let me take the stick and lead him home, like one little child. There no seem any strength left in him, and I take him home and make him lie down, and tell him go sleep; and he shut his eyes and go just like I tell him. "But me, I go away arid think things; and the things I think, they very bad, 'cause I know the priests go kill the man what kiR the snakes. "So the morning come, and M'sieu' Henrionnet wake up quite quiet. And we bury the poor little madarne back of the house. "All day there not no one come, and when I go stand on the veranda, there not no one who go by look at me, or speak one little word: and so I know the priests find out who kill the snakes. "So the night come and I just sit and wait; and presently I hear someone come to the door, and go for see what it is. I see one big man standing there, and he say he want the white man what kill the snakes, and I say he can't come in ; and then he sold up something and shotr me, and I see it the King's Stiek—the stick of the King of Dahomey, what a man must get np and follow even if he dying. So I know that the end, and I go call M'sieu' Henrionnett. "Theman show him the King's Stick, he get up without a word and follow him. "And I sit there and feel very sad, 'cause I know I never see my master alive no more; and long while after I hear something moving in the house and I think they bring M'sieu' Henrionnet back and go to see; and there in the middle of the room I see him lying dead, with a knife in his throat; and . tie King's Stick lying on his breast. . " And still I hear something moving, and I look, and presently I see the great black snake come in by the window. He looked around him with his wicked yellow eye, and then he stretch himself up and begin to dance like he do that first day, when M'sieu' Henrionnet play the 'Marseillaise.' And he danced all round M'sieu' Henrionnet, one, two, three times; and then he go away. "But me, Iget so I can't stay in that house no more, and Igo off and find the steamer of the captain what M'sieu' Henrionnet know, and yell and yell until they send off boat and take me on board; and then I very sick (or two, three days, I not know no more. "And after that, M'sieu' I never see snake but I feel cold ague go down my back, 'cause I think of M'sieu' Henrionnet lying dead with the King's Stick on his breast, and the black snake dancing round him, like I see him that night in Whydah." —London Out look.