The Argosy — page 242: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

About Snakes. 225 giving the man a couple of rupees, he then and there despatched the cobra. Venus all this time was safe in my arms, looking on calmly at this curious scene, and gloating inwardly, no doubt, at the destruc- tion of her enemy. But she had certainly saved my life, for if she had not come into my room when I got up, I should have gone to my bath, and the noise of splashing water would have disturbed the cobra, who was concealed by the tub, and in all probability it would have struck me a fatal blow. It had got into the bath-room through the hole out of which water ran into the garden when the bath was emptied, and had feasted so greedily on frogs (which gained admittance by the same entrance) that it became too bloated to return. It was certainly for me a narrow escape, and how could I do otherwise than cherish the memory of Venus? But let me tell you how another greedy cobra came by its death. We were astonished one day at hearing sundry and manifold reports, like the firing of a revolver, issuing from the ‘‘godown,” or store-room. | Calling the butler, who had the keys, we opened the door, and a strange spectacle met our gaze. A cobra had managed to get into the room, and casting about for food had hit upon an empty biscuit tin, about twelve inches by six, in which some particles of sweet biscuit remained. The cover had not been cleverly opened, the edges being jagged ; and it was partly pressed down, but not so close as to prevent Mr. Cobra getting his head within the box to lick up the crumbs. But the problem was how to get it out againe The more he tried the more difficult did it become; in his rage the hood expanded and was lacerated by the sharp edges of the tin, upon which he began to lash about him with his tail. Pop, pop, pop went bottles of beer and champagne, which he knocked over and broke. It was this noise, resembling pistol-shots, which attracted our attention and signed his death-warrant. He was quite at our mercy, and a few well-adjusted strokes put an end to him; but surely it was a stern caution to snakes that “‘he who prigs what isn’t his’n, when he’s caught,” well, may get some- thing worse than ‘ pris’n.” Many of us know what it is to have a presentiment of evil in our waking hours; to some it comes in their dreams. ‘My dear,” said Mr. F—-— to his spouse, waking up one morning; “T have had a strange dream. I dreamt that we were sleeping upon a cobra.” “What an old goose you are,” was her retort. ‘How could we be sleeping upon a cobra? One would think you had taken more than was good for you last night.” VOL, XLVIII. 2 (SO) ElOOOKS (CO) am — ~ —— = ™ = Pe oe et te a en ea a A ti - — a ~ : « = -~ . ~+s an : -_ er we ee a — a OE EE EE a —E—ee