Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-10-04

| tower yellow tncn ne mAF never &c us
tinRuished from the bunch Of bright
bananas among which he hangs cooled /;
or be may be a dark yellow, or yell
/ lowisb brown, OF tho color OF wine lees
spcckled with pink and black, or a per-
feet ash tint. or black with yellow
belly. or black with a rose bell y-all
hues Of tropical mold, Of old bark, OF
putrefying trees, Of forest detritua
| The ms Of the eye il orange, with red
flashes; at night it glows ike incandes-
/ cent charcoal.
And the far-de-lapce reigns absolute
| king over the mountains and rayines be
is lord OF the forests and the solitudes by
day. and by night he extends MS domi-
MON over the public roads, the familiar
paths. the parks. the pleasure resorts.
| People must remain 1T home after dark
unless they dwell in the city itself III
YOU happen 10 be out visiting after sun
set. only a mile from town, your friends
will caution You nnKiOusly not to follow
the boulevard 81 you 90 back and to keep
as closely as possible TO the very centre
OF the path. Even IN the brightest noon
YOU cannot venture TO enter the woods
unescorted YOU cannot trust yOnr eyes
TO detect danger. At any moment a
seeming branch, a knot Of lianas, pink
or gray root, a clump Of pendant yellow
frat may suddenly take life, Wrlthe,
swell, stretch, spring, strike.
Then you will need aid indeed, and
most quickly, for within the space OF
few heart beats the stricken flesh chills,
tumefies, soltens, changes color, spots
violaceously, and an icy GOODNESS crawls
through oil the blood. II the physician
or the pnuseur arrives in time, and no
artery or vein has been directly pierced,
there IS hope but the danger is not
passed when the life has been saved.
Necrosis OF the tissues begins the flesh
corrupts. tattcrs, tumbles from the bone,
and the coforS Of its peueiactlon are
frightful mockcries of the hues OF vege-
table death. of forest decomposition, the
CHASTITY pinks and grays and yellows OF
rotting trunks and roots melting back
into the thick fetid clay thst gave them
birth. You molder ms the trees molder
You crumble and dissolve as dissolyes tie
substance of the baatas and the palms
and the acomats- Death-of-tho-
Woods has seized upon yOu
And this pestilence that valketh IN
darkness, tots destruction that Wasteth at
MONDAY. may not be exercised. Zach
female produces yiyiparously from forty
to sixty toung at birth. The haunts
Of the creature are in many cases mac
cessiblo, inexplortbe It's multiplication
is prodigious tits only tue surplus Of rs
swArming that overpours into the cane
fields and makes the high roads perilous
after sunset. yet 10 destroy 300 or 400
thanatouhidia on single small pauta-
ton during the lapse OF twelve months
has not been uncommon. The intro
ducton of the mapgourts Che lchneu-
mon. may, It IS hoped, DO much toward
protecting the workers IN the cane-ilelds
and on the cocoa and coffee plantations
but the mangUustes powers are limited
and the ocean OF death is iilimitabIs.
The experience OF fear has enabled
domestic animals to discern the presence
Of the enemy while invisible to man.
lour horse rears and plunges IN the
darkness. trembles, and sweats. 10
not try to ride on until you are assured
the way is clear Your animal has per
ceiyed far ahead two scintillating points
two moving sparks Of fire. Or your dog
mny come running back. whining,
shiycriug. Accept his warning. The
animals kept about country residences
have learned TO iight for their lives, the
hen battles hopelessly for her chickens,
the bull tries to gore his supple enemy,
the pig gives more successful combat
but the creature who fears the monster
leHst is the brave est
Seeing n snake she at once carries her
kittens to n place of safety, then bodily
advances 70 the encounter. She will
walk to the very limit OF the serpent's
striking range and begin 70 ieint, teasing
him, startling him, trying 70 draw hls
blow. How tho emeuld aud the tOpazlne
eyes glow en-they are flames. a rO-
ment more and the triangular head, hiss
ieg from tho coil. flashes swift rs II
moved by wings. Bat swiiter still the
strong stroke Of the armed paw that
smitcs the horror aside. hlpgiug It,
mangied and gaspirg, Ia tue dust.
Nevertheless pussy does not yet dare 70
spring. The enemy, sill active, has al
most Instantly reformed MS coli; bat she
IS again in front OF him. watching -ycrii-
cal pupil against vertical pupil
Again the lashing stroke; again tie
beautiful countcring the living death
is hurled aside, the sceled skin is
deeply torn, one eye.socket ba, ceased
10 flame. Once more tue stroke OF the
serpent once more the light quick,
cutting blow But now the trigonoce-
phalus is blind, Is stupelied before be
can attempt to coil pussy mas leaped
upon him, mailing the horrible nat-hcad
last to the ground with her two SNOWY
paws. Now let him lash, writhe, twiue
strive to stangle her-In VAIN be WI
never lift sis head an instant more auc
he lies still tue fine white teeth OF tine
cat have severed the vertebro just be-
hind the triangular skull