Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

It is not often that we hear any credit rendered to the cat for either intelligence or affection, and it is therefore pleasing to be able to record an instance in which one if not both of these qualities is shown in a remarkable manner in this animal. A gentleman writing from India recently to a friend in England, says of a pet Persian cat; “I was lolling on the sofa, drowsily reading the newspaper, a few mornings ago, when Tom came and stood near me meowing in a plaintive way, as if to attract attention. Not wishing to be disturbed, I waved him off. He, however, returned in a minute or so, and this time jumped on the sofa, and, looking me in the face, renewed his noise more vigorously. Losing patience, I roughly drove him away. He then went to the door of an adjoining room, and stood there meowing most piteously. Fully aroused, I got up and went towards him. As I approached he made for the farther corner of the room, and began to show fight, bristling up and flourishing his tail. It at once struck me that an unwelcome visitor was in the room which Tom wished to get ride of; and sure enough, in looking toward the corner, I discovered a cobra coiled up behind a boot-shelf under a dressing table. The noise made by our approach aroused the snake, and he attempted to make off, but I dispatched him with my gun, which was ready loaded close by. You should have seen Tom’s satisfaction. He ran between my legs, rubbing himself against them caressingly, as to say, “Well done, master!” The snake measured five feet seven inches in length.