ay station it is
only three hours, and the train only leaves for J ubbulpore at eight
in the evening. And do you know," added the Takur, smiling in his usual
mysterious way, "I am going to treat you to a concert. Tonight you shall
be witness of a very interesting natural phenomenon connected with this
island."

We all pricked up our ears with curiosity.

"Do you mean that island there? and do you really think we must go?"
asked the colonel. "Why should not we spend the night here, where we are
so deliciously cool, and where..."

"Where the forest swarms with playful leopards, and the reeds shelter
snug family parties of the serpent race, were you going to say,
colonel?" interrupted the Babu, with a broad grin. "Don't you admire
this merry gathering, for instance? Look at them! There is the father
and the mother, uncles, aunts, and children.... I am sure I could point
out even a mother-in-law."

Miss X---- looked in the direction he indicated and shrieked, till all
the echoes of the forest groaned in answer. Not farther than three steps
from her there were at least forty grown up serpents and baby snakes.
They amused themselves by practising somersaults, coiled up, then
straightened again and interlaced their tails, presenting to our dilated
eyes a picture of perfect innocence and primitive contentment. Miss
X---- could not stand it any longer and fled to the carriage, whence she
showed us a pale, horrified face. The Takur, who had arranged himself
comfortably beside Mr. Y---- in order to watch the progress of his
paint-ing, left his seat and looked attentively at the dangerous group,
quietly smoking his gargari--Rajput narghile--the while.

"If you do not stop screaming you will attract all the wild animals of
the forest in another ten minutes," said he. "None of you have anything
to fear. If you do not excite an animal he is almost sure to leave you
alone, and most probably will run away from you."

With these words he lightly waved his pipe in the direction of the
serpentine family-party. A thunderbolt falling in their midst could not
have been more effectual. The whole living mass looked stunned for a
moment, and then rapidly disappeared among the reeds with loud hissing
and rustling.

"Now this is pure mesmerism, I declare," said the colonel, on whom not a
gesture of the Takur was lost. "How did you do it, Gulab-Sing? Where did
you learn this science?"

"They were simply frightened away by the sudden movem