A Snake in the Boot.

Otago Witness, Issue 2179, 28 November 1895, Page 55

A Snake in the Boot.

A Few yeara ago a young officer went out to India to take an appointment on the staff of the eommantler-ia-chief. At mess on the night of his arrival in that country he was greatly amused at the " tall " stories of the jungle that were told by his brother officers, but was deeply impressed by an old cavalry colonel, who wound up a wonderful snake story by saying : " Yes, gentlemen, I was in the act of putting on my boots when I felt something wriggling at the bottom of one. It would have been | almost sudden death to have withdrawn my foot, so, stamping heavily on the ground, I flattened it out; then, removing my boob, shook out r cobra nearly 2ft in leugth." The new arrival was awakened at daybreak the follosviDg morning and began to dress for parade. When about to put on hia riding-boots he thought of the colonel and the cobra, and was iv the act of pulling on his left boot when he experienced a sharp, stinging sensation on the sole of his foot. "Cobra!" he shouted, at the same time quickly mounting a chair, and jumping 03,

bringing the whola weight of his body to bear on the foot that was stung. On hearirg his cries his servant ran in, and, seeing his master had faiuted, called loudly for help. Soon a doctor and several brother officera from tho adjacent bungalows came to his assistance. Tho doctor, on removing the boot, discovered a hunting-spur inside tho boot, being the regular place where a native servant put 3 them after cleaning !