REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 117 



" After the cauterization I took his arm, and, getting one 

 of the servants, whom I believe is the same man who pulled 

 him out of the river in the alligator adventure, to take the 

 other arm, I trotted him up and down the verandah at a brisk 

 pace, stopping at the table midway to give him an occasional 

 dose of the medicine according to the instructions as well as 

 some strong tots of brandy which also played no small part 

 in the eventual cure. He seemed to be getting on all right, 

 and as nearly an hour had elapsed I had great hopes of his 

 recovery, when all of a sudden he became very heavy in hand, 

 and we could no longer keep him going. We were afraid it 

 was all over now, but I promptly went for the brandy bottle 

 and gave him a real knock-me-down peg, caught him by the 

 arm, and shouted to him to do his best ; it was like calling 

 on the favourite at the winning post. The old horse respond- 

 ed, and after half dragging him for a few yards, he shook off 

 the lethargy, and in five minutes disdained all assistance) 

 and began cutting capers on his own account. 



" The crisis was now evidently passed, but still we kept 

 trotting him up and down the verandah, till at last he claimed 

 a rest. He had done enough sprinting for that night. He 

 now wanted the ligatures removed, as his hand was paining 

 him very much. We would not hear of this, but allowed a 

 native cupper, who turned up most opportunely from the 

 crowd with his instrument, to work his wicked will. The 

 cupping seemed to give relief, and afterwards, when some 

 hours had elapsed, and we considered all danger had passed, 

 we allowed the wrist ligature to be untied and after a short 

 time the other one. Then the day began to break and the 

 snake was brought forward on view. It was a fine krait, 

 measuring four feet, and is still to be seen at Jaintpore, pre- 

 served in a prune jar filled with real old Scotch whisky, and 

 is to be handed down with the rest of the heirlooms of the 

 Abbott family. Within an hour of the bite a crowd of over 



