ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 61 



off sleeping snakes, who, glad to be so warned for their 

 own sakes, glide away speedily, and would bite only in 

 self-defence if unable to escape. I well remember one 

 day standing in an agony of terror and indecision as to 

 what to do, having inadvertently trodden on one asleep 

 on the gravelled path. The tiny head was reared three 

 or four inches above my instep, where it could have bitten 

 me, doubtless, but it was only hissing viciously at me for 

 pressing it on to the rough ground, as I was doing for lack 

 of common-sense. My husband coming in sight I beckoned 

 to him, pointing downwards, not daring to speak aloud, 

 hardly to breathe. He saw, and asked me quite calmly 

 why didn't I let it go. Let it go ! I wanted nothing 

 better ; and it seemed that was all the little snake wanted 

 either, for with the slightest lift of my imprisoning foot 

 it was gone like a streak of light, as pleased as I was to see 

 it go. 



People who would consider themselves well educated are 

 still to be found speaking and writing of a snake ' darting 

 out its venomed sting,' such a ' sting ' being nothing more 

 than its tongue ! The virus of a snake lies in the glands, 

 or poison-bags, beneath two fangs in the upper jaw ; with 

 the pressure exerted in biting it is propelled along the 

 minute tube running up in each tooth. Minute as this 

 tube is — like a mere thread — enough poison is injected 

 at one bite to cause death to ensue within a few hours, or 

 in some cases sooner, as I have already mentioned. If 

 the bitten person feel no ill effects, as does sometimes 

 happen, even in the case of cobra-bite, it is only because 

 the venom has spent itself, probably on the clothing, 

 before reaching the flesh. That is just what befell a relative 

 of ours. He was riding, and perhaps his horse trod on the 

 cobra, for it did what was quite extraordinary, it leaped 

 up and struck his boot, biting through the tough leather. 

 There was a tiny wound on his foot, which was cauterised 



