A Snake Story.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 3033, 19 October 1888, Page 3

A Snake Story.

Although make stories are numerous, I will inflict one upon you. I ■was dining at tho officers' moss of a regiment stationed at Tonngnoo, It was during the wet monsoon at the 1 time, Wo were sitting over our wine when a young lieutenant called out, r "I feel something creeping up my ■. right leg.'" I may mention that wide trousers of American twill are worn lor the sake of coolness. An old officer present told the young fellow ' . for God's sake not to stir, but to Bit pevfectly/miet, adding that it, ym no doubt a Me, and that if ho was to ' move liis position he might be fatally bitten. The young fellow behaved with much iiorvo, His fnco became a shade paler, but he took the advice given and Remained cjuiet. Ho told ! i <■*

us in. a low voico tlwt Ihe creature, whatever it was, could not got past the kiice, and that it I>nd coiled itself around his leg. Not knowing how tlio affair might end, • tlio' colonel had sent to town for a Miaku charmer. Two of these worthies soon made their appearance, ono with ut 1 reed pipe, somewhat I'oseiubling a flageolet, the other hearing a basket with flaps to it, The basket with one flap up was set down behind the young officer's chair, tho bearer squatting down beside it. Tlio other officers in.ulo room for the charmers. The musician commenced to play n low soft melody on his pipe, monotonous but pleasing. In a lew minutes tho head of the reptile .vaa seen to creep i out of the bottom of l lie. young oftkova ; trousers, and, after nodding it about a i little, keeping time with the cadence jof tlio music, the snako slowly j wriggled itself free from the young man's leg, and glided towards the piper, Tlio music now becamofast and wild, the snako keeping time with tt| until, with ii vapid, sharp movejment, the man on tho floor caught tho snake by tho neck, thus forcing tho jaws apart. Producing n steel instrument, tho operator pulled the poisonbag out with n dexterous jerk ; then threw the snake into the basket, and shutdown tho flap, On receiving ut few rupees the charmers miido n low obeisanco and retired with their prize, Tho fiiiuko proved to bo n cobra-di-capelln, or hooded snako about eighteen inches in length, After the reptile had withdrawn from about liis person the young officer would hive fainted frdm the reaction, but the "old hand" had a tumbler of brandy ready, which he made tho youth Bwallow,