Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-01-22

PERSONS VINO Del1oVe IN 6paomOdlC0l
providences, will argue that the slow
ness of the corale was specially appor.
toned to him to preserve men from his
venom. Even supposing this
reasonable, the desired effect must be
due to some physical cause, and that
cause is still to seek. The other side
of the argument is not much studied
in the jungle, but it is somewhat diff
cult to see why we should be thus pro-
tected from the corale, while the toboba
is allowed to carry his poison az rapid
" as he may please. Surely it is Of
little Importance to any man whether
he dies in twenty minutes or in four or
five hours, 70 his death be equally Ger.
tain in either case. Most of us who
have necessarily thought upon the sub.
ject seem to prefer the shorter period.
Even the "sangre," the blood. snake,
that most rare and horrible of reptiles,
il fur more active than the o
rale. It may DO observed also, in
passing, that slowness of movement is
by no ean an entire protection to ue.
l should say, on the whole, that more
persons are killed by 'tcorales'' than by
any snake that lives in the forest. The
poor thing can't glide away when it
put his foot upon it while Fastening to
escape with all its little speed, what
can the most amiable snake do but
bite For, I will admit it openly, 1
am fond OF these creatures in a certain
sense! I have killed hundreds of the
venomous; I have tanned the pretty
and harmless; I have kept many
species, and watched them carefully :
and 1 assert that dangerous reptiles are
the most exciting study a man a
have, they are so strange and beautiful
and deadly.
CHOW for the fascination !" I
thought, when the corale came fairly
out, gliding with a slow and labored
motion, and carrying it's head higher
than do most ser penis. But the qua
tuso, though evidently frightened,
showed none of the signs that are said
to accompany fascination. He looked
round piteously, calling his note Of
alarm without ceasing, but the little
creature evidently knew his p~ursuer's
slowness. The mystery was soon ex-
planned. When the corale had arrived
within three or four feet of his victim.
an easy spring for any other serpent, a
second head was thrust from the nest
in answer to repeated calls of distress.
"Now," said I to myself, tive shall
perhaps verify another legend. The
corale does not apparently fascinate
the guatuso, but possibly the female
guatuso will fight the corale, as, they
say, sometimes happens" So I made
a bargain with myself. If the rabbit
dare to show fight in the defense of her
young, I will interfere; if not, a snake
has an equal right to live with any 9th.
er animal.
But it could be seer that the poor
guatusos had no more intention of con-
frming jungle legends than had the
corale : they showed no fight at all.
The male hoped hither and thither.
frantic with fright, while the female
crouched owe her nest trembling.
Silent and deadly as an evil spirit the
snake glided on. His scarlet rings
glowed and fadeu by turns, now shin
ing like the brightest sealing wax, now
dying into dnll orange. When within
fifteen inches of the guatuso, a corale's
leap, he seemed to pause, as if medi-
tatlng a spling, but next instant his
steady crawl was resumed. Then the
mothers instinct showed itself stronger
than any thought of safety. With q
faint cry, that seemed to bid her mate
a last farewell, the doe guatuso plunged
into the recess, and the long ieweled
body of the snake flashed after her.
A faint struggle in the holes
mouth! Then the rabbit leaped out
weakly, bea,ing around her neck q
brighter, daintier necklace than ever
jeweler could enamel. Within a foot
of the entrance she rolled over; the
snake unwound itself rapidly, looked
at the cowardly mate with dilated eyes,
Missed ut him sharply in a manner that
would have been comic in a less terri
bic creature, then glided back to it's
meal under the cairn. The bitten
guatuso struggled for a moment on the
ground, and then died in seeming
agony.
1 stepped forward in haste. Disap-
pointed by the coraie in the matter of
fascination, by its victim in the matter
of fighting, there vas still hope to con
firm a third legend as to the effect of
this snakes venom. I drew my bowie
and cut the rabbits throat, severing
both jugular and carotid; not 4 drop Of
blood flowed! The story, then, which
all believe in the jungle, that q corale's
bite instantly solidifies the blood, is
true. The arteries were filed with a
thick, purple jelly!