Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 139, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 June 1910 — A BATTLE ROYAL. [ARTICLE]

A BATTLE ROYAL.

Every reader of Kipling recalls the famous story of the fight between the mongoos and the cobra. An exciting account of another such contest is given by a writer in the Ceylon Times. When the nlongoos first caught sight of the cobra, It quietly smelled of the snake’s tail and -then hung round,* awaiting events with curiosity. But it had not long to wait, for the cobra spread its hood, hissed out its angry warning and prepared to strike from Its coll. Now began a most interesting and deadly battle—of feint and counterfeint by the mongoos and strike and lightning-like recovery by its adversary, which was also on the defensive, all the time watching for the opportunity to get in Its properly aimed bite. Time after time the mongoos squirmed slowly up to within reach of those terrible fangs—belly on ground—with every gray hair of its body erect with anger and excitement, its eyes glaring from its head, which, by the way, he invariably held sidewise during thft approach and attack. The moment the cobra struck, In a flash back sprang the mongoos, and although often It appeared impossible that it could have escaped the dreaded fangs, not & scratch harmed 1L There It would be again, wearing the cobra out and pressing the advantage .Inch by inch. -

At last, with a growl and a sharp cry, the plucky little beast flew in, dodged the strike, and seized the snake behind the head, never for a moment getting under its mouth. Right at the nape of the neck and head it scrunched with a loud cracking sound. The struggles and twisting and turning of the cobfa availed nothing. Again and again the mongoos returned to tho now writhing reptile and bit its head and body until It lay dying. Finally the mongoos ate three or four inches of its mortal foe, carefully avoiding the fangs and poison glands. These I picked up by a stick and found broken, with the venom sacks attached. Contrary to popular belief, I am of oplnlbn that the mongoos 1b not lm mune from snake poison, else why should the creature so particularly avoid being bitten? It is only by its marvelous activity that it escapes the spring and darting strike of its deadly/enemy, the cobra-de-capello. A man who Insists on having his own way a good deal, is always unfair.