as any mythology," added Lord
Tremlyn. "You observe that it calls together a great crowd of people of all
classes, and you see fat Brahmin ladies here in palanquins, very richly
dressed, and looking as sweet as sugar. You notice the rich standards and
the torches, the trumpeters, and the girls playing on tom-toms and cymbals.
But we must get nearer to the centre of the show."

"Not too near," pleaded Mrs. Woolridge.

The crowd opened for the sahibs and the ladies, treating them with the
utmost deference, as though they were superior beings; and they obtained a
position where they could see the entire performance. A group of
_sapwallahs_, or serpent-charmers, each bearing a basket about fifteen
inches in diameter at the bottom, but not more than ten at the top, each
containing several cobras, marched into the centre of the crowd. Pious
Hindus brought forward bowls of the milk of buffaloes, of which the
serpents are very fond, and placed them on the ground. The snakes were
released from their confinement, and they made for the bowls of milk
without any delay.

Some of the tourists had never seen a cobra, though they are found in
Egypt. The ladies shrank back when they appeared, and some of them
shuddered at the sight of the reptiles. The body was somewhat enlarged near
the head, and the spectacles could be distinctly seen in this part. The
instruments played, the standards and the torches were waved; but the
snakes continued their milk feast undisturbed.

The principal _sapwallah_ had a wand in his hand, which he flourished
while he repeated a volume of gibberish which none of the party but Sir
Modava could understand. When Mrs. Belgrave asked what he said; he replied
that he was uttering invocations to the serpents, and entreating the whole
tribe of snakes not to bite the people.

One of the _sapwallahs_, who wore nothing but a turban on his head and
a fringed cloth about his loins, went to one of the bowls from which half a
dozen cobras were feeding, and taking hold of one of them, pulled him away
from the milk. The serpent thus treated was furious with anger, and
instantly opened out his hood, showing the spectacles in full. Another
cobra was put in his place at the bowl, and his persecutor sat down on the
ground with him, fooling with him as though he had been a kitten or a pet
dog.

In turn the snakes remaining in the baskets were released, and allowed to
feast on the milk as others were removed. There was a gr