From Dalhousic into Chamba 107 



which the powerful muscles of the cheek squirt the 

 poison, which comes out at a tiny slit in the very tip 

 of the fang and is forced right into the bottom of 

 the wound. 



Taking the stick out of the snake's mouth, the 

 charmer next makes it catch a bit of his turban in 

 its teeth. The man pulls steadily at the turban till 

 the teeth give way, and the poison-fangs and yellow 

 fluid come away with the rag. Then he pronounces 

 the snake harmless, and puts it into his basket to 

 exhibit in future. You feel you will well reward him ; 

 but the next thing he does is to catch the cobra's 

 mate. 



This he does carelessly, and gets bitten. A terrible 

 scene ensues : the snake-charmer alone is calm. You 

 recall a never-to-be-forgotten afternoon, when your 

 Hindoo punkah coolie, who was asleep in the verandah, 

 turned over and rolled against a cobra, which bit him 

 in the shoulder instantly. How you dosed the poor 

 fellow with brandy ; how he complained of giddiness, 

 but was able to speak and was quite calm ; how in 

 half an hour's time he was in great agony ; his legs 

 gradually became paralysed ; he grew speechless ; con- 

 vulsions followed ; how at last the doctor appeared 

 and injected ammonia ; how in one hour and five 

 minutes after being bitten your servant was cold and 

 stiff! 



But the snake-charmer has produced a tiny black 

 stone, reassuring the circle of terrified servants ; he 

 calls it a snake stone, presses it on the bitten place, 



