The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-06-29
I'M the Coils Of a SERPENT.
San Francisco Post.

San Francisco Post:
In company with d halEbreed, who
combined the tocations Of wood
man and hunter, stumbled one day
on a large specimen Of the crotalus
mutus, slowly windingits way among
the leaf debris of the forest. For
some time it was difficult to discern
the sealy folds of the snake through
the brown mass Of decaying foliage,
but having reached clear spot the
reptile coiled around a low stump and
prepared for action. About yard
of the body next to the head was
contracted into numerous sharp
curves not unlike corkserep, while
the yellow eyes CLEANED with bale
full light.
There was little fascination about
these orbs, continues the hunter in the
Indian Statesman, and no installing
the malignant intentions Of their
owner. A stick brought within fe8tll
of that mortal coil was Struck at
most with the rdpidity Of lightning,
no matter how swiftly withdrawn
This was effected by the instantan
! eous Strengthening ofthe short curves
into which this portion of the body
had been contracted. Even the willy
mongoose would have needed all his
marvellous agility to avoid the dead
ly stroke if once within range. The
reach was about yard, and the as
sault was delivered horizontally
some six inches from the ground
toward the assailant. The hunter
who had hitherto kept a respectful
distance. as he alleged the snake
could spring; was eventually per
suaded 10 approach sufficiently ne al
to strike it with q ten-foot pole.
At the first blow the heavy coils re
Taxed from the stump and the Great
ure appeared dead or stunned. Thu
writer at once grasped the neck about
two inches from the head and RAISED
the head partly from the ground tt
examine it: As though galvanized
into lie by the touch, the er6talu'
seemed at once to recoverits energies
and swi tly made a couple of turns
around the thigh and right arm 3
the would-be captor. The Gofistritt
ing power exercised was such thai
the hand grasping the neck began tC
lose power and the writer realized tn,
awkward predicament into which hi
temerity had led him: Little c6ul(
be done with the free left hand, while
the "scaly terror began slowly to
withdraw its head from the relaxing
grasp of the right.
For some seconds the trembling
woodman appeared deaf to entreatN
and could not be persuaded to apply
d moose or llama to the snakes neck
The largest serpents become paraly
zed when properly noosed, and ar
readily dragged along the ground
helpless as alog. just as the snake
head seemed about to ooze through
the numbed fingers the half bret
screwed up his courage sufficient.
to apply the Llama as directed, will
the result that the brute relaxed it!
coils and was dragged down to {
neighboring stream, hung up ant
skinned. 1t measuredS feet 5 inches
and was about as thick in the larges
part OF the body as the calf of {
mans leg.
The frangs, which were carefully ex
tracted, measured one and q quarter
inches in length, and were hollow tt
within short distance of tho point
where, on the inner side, lay tn
orific through which the poison wa
elected by the action of the base O
the fang on the bag in which it wa
secreted. On squeezing the bag /
small quantity of poison, a yellow
fluid, passed down the hollow in tn
! tooth and gathered in n tiny drol
of concentrated death. The stomacl
contained two wood rats, about TIN
size of guinea pigs, one PARTIAL.
digested, the other recently swal
lowed.