The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-16
FIGHT WITH A RATTLEsNAKe.
Thrilling Experience of n Hunter in India
With a Deadly Constructor.

A writer in the Statesman, OF India, sigh
ing himself II. NJ, who was once head of
the crowns land department, in the col
ony of Trinidad, says: In company with
a half-breed, who combined the vOcations
Of a wOodman and hunter, | stumbled
suddenly on a large specimen OF the
crOtalus mutus, slowly winding its way
among the leaf debris of the forest. For
some time it was difficult to discern the
scaly folds of the snake through the brown
mass of decaying foliage, but having
reached a clear spot, the reptile coiled
around a low stump and prepared for
action. About a yard of the body next
the head was contracted into numerous
sharp curves, not unlike a corkscrew,
while the yellow eyes cleaned with a
baleful light.
There was little fascination about these
Orbs, and no installing the malignant in
tentions OF their owner. A stick brought
within reach of that mortal coil was stuck
almost with the rapidity OF lightning, no
matter how swiftly withdrawn. This was
elected by the instantaneous straighten-
ing OF the 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
lLC uCciNlll DAlOhDg IL OllNt nlllAAl ietllECs
The reach was about a yard, and the
assault was delivered horizontally. some
six inches from the ground, directly
toward the assailant. The hunter, who
had hitherto kept at a respectful distance,
as he alleged the snake could spring, was
eventually persuaded to approach sutfi-
GENTLY near to strike it with ten-foot
pole.
At the first blow the heavy coils re-
Taxed from the stump, and the creature
appeared dead or stunned. The writer at
once grasped the neck about two inches
from the head, and raised the reptile
partly from the ground TO examine it. As
though galvanized into life by the touch,
the crotaius seemed at once to recover its
energies, and swiftly made a couple of
turns around the thigh and right arm of
the would-be captor. The constructing
power exercised was such that the hand
grasping the neck began to lose power,
and the writer realized the awkward pre-
dicament into which his temerity had
led him. Little could be done with the
free left hand, while the ''scaly terror" be-
gan slowly to withdraw its head from the
relaxing grasp of the right.
For some seconds the trembling wood
man appeared deaf to entreaty, and could
uOb NC peIbudueu 10 Apply Il house OF mana
to the snakes neck. The largest serpents
become paralvzed when properly noosed,
and are readily dragged along the ground
helpless as a log. Just as the snakes head
seemed about to ooze through the numbed
fingers the half-breed screwed up his cour-
age sufficiently to apply the Llama as di-
rected, with the result that the brute at
once relaxed its coils, and was dragged
down to a neighbOrIng stream, hung up
and skinned. 1t measured eight feet five
inches. and was about as thick in the
largest part of the body as the calf OF a
mans leg.
The fangs, which were carefully ex-
tracted, measured one and quarter inch
in length, and were hollow within a short
distance OF the point, where, on the inner
side, lay the orifice through which the
poison was elected by the action of the
base OF the fang on the bag in which it
was secreted. On squeezing the bag, a
small quantity OF poison, yellowish fluid
passed down the hollow in the tooth and
gathered into a tiny drop OF concentrated
death. The stomach contained two wood
rats about the size of guinea pigs, one par
TALLY digested, the other recently swal-