A Fox Terrier Puppy and a Big Cape Cobra.

Cape Cobra

            One day, when no one else was around, the silence was disturbed by a child calling and the insistent barking of a young puppy.   It so happened that Bertha was alone at home with five year old Les who was playing outside with Toby.   When he continued calling the dog, and the dog just kept on yapping, she went out to see what was going on and that is when she turned ice cold.

Puff Adder

            The little dog was barking and dashing to and fro in front of a huge Cape Cobra while Les was trying to get the dog away from the danger.   The snake was erect and would strike at the dog, but he was too fast and just kept frustrating the snake and making it angry.   Bertha was quick to grab a hoe and with her second attempt, when the snake lowered its head, she chopped its head right off.   Les explained, while she was pulling him away, that he was trying to get the dog to leave the snake alone, but the dog wouldn’t listen.   By now Toby had grabbed the dead snake’s writhing body and was trying to shake it.   That snake could quite easily have been about a meter and a half long!   It was only at this point that one of the farmhands came sauntering along to take a look, and he then removed the dead snake to burn it in a fire.   Bertha’s reputation among the blacks rose tremendously.   Those who saw what had happened told the others that she was a fearless “Intombi”.

   

Boom Slang

         There were many snakes on the farm so you had to keep your eyes wide open when walking in the veld.   My dad always told us that a snake was afraid of a human and would only bite if it felt that its life was threatened.   For this reason we were warned to carry a sturdy stick at all times.   Toby grew up to be one of the best snake killers that I have ever seen.

Night Adder

            When birds see a snake they all give the same danger call and gather in numbers to pester the reptile until he leaves.   But before you could get there, Toby would be busy killing the snake or searching for it.   I had seen him climb a tree to pull a snake down.   He was fast, very fast, and before the snake realised what was happening he had grabbed if by the throat and was shaking it and tossing it into the air, which would make the snake dizzy.   He would then proceed to kill it.

Garter Snake

            We dreaded the day when he would be just a little too slow for a spitting or striking snake.   But in the meantime he kept the snakes away from the house.   My poor mother was terrified of snakes and never lost this fear.   She would threaten to go back to the Free State, but this never happened.

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Harmless Mole Snake