St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-11-13
Whipping a Snake.

1.-The next dav we went on up the
valley of the TchuIish. crossed the di-
vding ridge which marks its head
springs, and thence defending upon Il
wide desert Steppe. intcrScctcd 10y ster-
lie, rocky ridges, which. like great sea-
waves, succeeded each other foI more
than fifty vcrSts.
son these bare ridges we began tn
see scrpcnls. They glidcd away from
before us with angry misses. They
were of several kinds. Th" first we
S.lw were of Slatey-grcy color, two or
three feet long, and rather sluggish.
| do not think that these were poison
Gus. The horses did not shy from them
;ls they often do from NcnomouS snakes.
We trnd many under foot. But on one
of the succeeding ridges we fell i'll with
Il larger species. jet black Ia color,
more than IL yard i'll length. and very
active. These. however, IAN swiftly
away ut our approach.
Farther ON, different and very
beautiful species began to rear their
heads and hiss at our approach. They
were of pale green hue, cloUdcd
with black and had deep crimson spots
on their sides. They We're lis large is
the black variety, hut not nearly 81
active. The horses SHE'D slightly from
these. Nevertheless. we made our way
without hindrance, till on coming t.
the foot of an unusually high and stony
ridge my horse suddenly stopped short.
snorting violently. In II second | saw
the cIll>c of its alarm. on a rock. half
a-duzem yards away. Il mach larger ser
pcmt Law coiled. 1t had seen us. SLOW
~ it raised its head Il foot or more,
Its eyes were red, like live Goals. IT.
tongue played. and it began t" his,
turiouSlV. The CoSSackS shouted Ia
warn me that It's bite was sure death
They knew it we'll and dared not %
near it. feared lest it might strike
the legs of the horses. and drawing one
of my pistols fired ut its neck. but
missed it. | WAS about to draw my
other pistol. when little Tchumpim. wh'
had slipped down from his hol>c. stole
past my side. whip iii hand.
4 will soon kill it. BARN. he said.
His air WAS 50 confident determine,
To let him try. His whip WAS of the
fashion in Use with Tartar tcanrStcrS. {;
heavy aShru stock, to which is ta>tem-
ed Il long lash. or thong of leather
Carefully measuring the distance Will
his eve, the hoy Whirlcd the Will
around his head in Il circle. then >trrucl
ont at the kissing reptile. The th"n;
snapped almost A. Loudly as the piSt"
shot as the tip ct il fell on the snake
crest. causing il To fall ut full lengtI
oil the rock But it was only stunned
Before it could recover itself. however
TchImpim took up Il stone. and throw
ing il, made 80 left IL east ;S to ncarl'
sever its head from its body. Tw" "
the CoSSackS. no had dismOuIntcd
now assisted hin To finish the reptile
On stretching ont tins Scrpcnt's bod,
I found il to measure an inch over tW'
wards in length. and its body was lathe
thick in proportion. 1t had two ven"
nous fangS. IT. color WAS Il dee
brown, with red and green Spanglcs Z"
It's sides | have since Learned that tn
celebrated cobra of India Is not mon
fatal in its bite I van this paIti-col"rc'
serpent of the strppc.
After this adV' nturc, Tchumpin wen
ahead with his hip for several verst>
and killed several >crpcnt> of the sam
species, hut none :" large as the first
e. 4. Stephens. 81. Nicholas for Nor
embcr.