How does snake story end?

We featured the first part of Kenneth Miln’s India-set short chiller The Hamadryad in yesterday’s edition. Now here’s the finale

to his historical work, picking up from the discovery of a menacing king cobra by three emigrant Dundee jute workers...

Mr Miln’s story concludes: “Perhaps it was the huge serpent’s heavy body slithering across the wooden floor that woke Jim who, on seeing the huge snake towering above him, screamed in mortal fear for his life.

“On entering Jim’s room Fin and John watched in horror as the big snake, excited by the all the noise, spread its hood and began swaying from side to side in preparation to strike.

“For some seconds both Fin and John stood paralysed by the demonic sight of the king cobra as it turned to face them. Those black unblinking eyes, the open yellow

maw showing two long pointed fangs were enough to break the paralysing spell.

“Fin, with great presence of mind, took hold of a bamboo fishing rod which had been placed near the doorway and struck out hard at the hissing reptile: the strong fishing line with a heavy metal lure encircled the beast’s neck in ever tightening coils.

“Within a minute the hamadryad sank to the floor semi-conscious and the three wallahs acted swiftly: Fin held the line tight while Jim and John took hold of the snake’s tail pulling the deadly reptile out of the bungalow.

“Fin released his hold on the line, thereby permitting the snake to recover and slither back into the jungle, for to have killed a

hamadryad would have, according to local lore, brought bad luck!

“The wallahs’ luck held and their fishing expedition proved highly successful.”