IMPRISONED BY A COBRA 227 



might have been an hour; it might have been but 

 fifteen minutes. At any rate, I was awakened 

 by a peculiar grating sound, as of something 

 being dragged over the loose, fine gravel; in 

 fact, I became aware of the presence of some 

 creature before I was fully awake. When I did 

 come ,to my full senses I was horrified at dis- 

 covering an immense cobra stretched full length 

 at my feet. 



"I realised that the slightest move on my 

 part meant death; in fact, the mere opening of 

 my eyes had attracted the snake's attention, for 

 instantly it stopped and its sinister, beady eyes 

 stared at me from their lidless sockets. 



"I have faced many dangers in the course of 

 my short time on earth, but heretofore it has 

 been in the open where I had the freedom of 

 my limbs and the power to use them. But 

 here I lay a captive at the mercy of the fangs 

 of the most gruesome of all creatures. For all 

 practical purposes I might just as well have 

 been charmed, for there was my rifle within easy 

 reach yet I dared not make a move to secure it. 



"To prevent my limbs from shaking and be- 

 traying me, I set my muscles, locked my jaws, 

 and simply stared. So long as the cobra re- 



