144 THE EASTEEN HUNTERS. 



or less venomous, with few exceptions. They don't 

 include, however, rock-snakes, which are, I believe, 

 of the boa kind. I suppose they like to exaggerate 

 the terrors of the beasts." 



" The black cobra is the worst ; the most deadly, 

 I mean, is it not ? " asked Hawkes. 



" It is generally thought so. But there is a small 

 snake in Scinde called, I think, the " kuppur," which 

 is said to cause death much more quickly. I have 

 even heard it reported that it attacks and destroys 

 the cobra. Many deaths among the natives are 

 attributed to it." 



" Yes," remarked Mackenzie ; " and I daresay 

 sometimes with but little foundation. Where poison 

 is so easily procured, I imagine the snakes sometimes 

 get the credit of the deeds performed by more 

 human means. I have seen one case of tolerable 

 wholesale poisoning in my time ; though certainly 

 not in this instance attributed to other cause than 

 that of the agency of man. You remember, Norman, 

 that case at Sukkur." 



" Well," was the reply. " It was about as horrible 

 a one as I can recollect." 



In reply to Hawkes' inquiries, Mackenzie related 

 that a family consisting of fourteen persons, of all 

 ages and both sexes, had been, with two exceptions, 

 destroyed by the administration of poison. 



