MY FIRST COBRA 5*7 



In more remote times still, the Burra Sahib 

 shot one that was coiled up in a dusky corner, 

 hissing at the dogs, when Nous was a puppy ; 

 and before he had taught himself this trick of 

 catching them by the scruff of the neck. Again, 

 another time he shot one that had gone under an 

 arch beneath the verandah, in the evening twilight. 



The first time I became personally acquainted 

 with a cobra, was one sultry evening about 

 dusk. I was sitting on the lower verandah, near 

 the top of a flight of stone stairs leading out on to 

 a gravel walk, when I suddenly became aware of 

 a dim, dark thing moving slowly along the lower 

 step. Then I saw it was a snake. I called out to 

 Chota Sahib, who was in his room close by. 



"Bring a gun C. S. ; oh ! quick, here's a snake." 

 I was afraid it would disappear when it heard the 

 sound of voices ; but no, in the other corner of the 

 step it silently, slowly swelled up, and over without 

 any apparent movement, and up the next ; taking 

 no notice of me at all. As C. S. brought his gun, 

 I ran into the dining-room for a light, so that we 

 should be able to see where it went. The only 



one there was a great table lamp ; but I seized it 



H 



