Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1890-07-18
Indian Arrow Poisons.

hideous and deadly of its kind, the
bloating rattlesnake Of the Staked
! Plains. 1t is so hideous, and its
ath-dealing qualities so sure, that
! it is terror even to an Apache In
dian, and if there is one thing that is
worse than a rattlesnake in the opin-
ion of plainsmen and settlers it is an
Apache Indian. The Piutes, although
a more cowardly gang than the APP
aches, hold this rattlesnake in less
horror, but they give it plenty Of
room. The Piutes draw on the snake
for their poison after the reptile is
dead The Apaches, in spite OF their
fear Of the snake, make it contribute
its venom to them while it is alive.
THE rattlesnake of the Staked
Plains grows to length of six feet,
and attains a girth Of ten inches at
the thickest part. They have tremen-
dous sets Of rattles. l saw one once
that was over five feet long and had
twenty three rattles in it, and heard
of a snake being killed with string
of twenty-seven rattles. The head OF
the Staked Plains rattler is an enor-
nous triangular thing, often five
inches in length from the thin neck to
the blunt nose, and three inches
wide, measuring from base to base OF
the jawbone. This snake has fangs
an inch long, and is frequently fitted
with two sets. The poison sacs at the
base of these fangs are as big as
hazel nut. The snake is a bright
yellow in color, and is distinguished
by much the same markings that
characterize the rattlesnake OF this
State and Pennsylvania. The Staked
Plains rattlesnake is a dreadful
enough customer any day in the
year, but during August, takes on the
fulness OF its frightfulness, both in
appearance and conduct. About the
middle of August, when the weather
is insufferably hot, this snake be-
comes bloated from some cause un-
til it is a third larger than its normal
size. Its appearance is as il the snake
had been blown like a bladder, or
charged with gas like a balloon.
This rattler is always sluggish and
slow in its movements, and, like all OF
its kind, usually makes an effort to
get out of the way of intruders, but
in August it simply lies still in bloat-
ed responsiveness, and it will not move
for anything, being ready at all times
to strike at everything that comes
near it. As near as you can get at it,
this rattlesnake at this time of the
year is simply swollen reservoir OF
venom, and its bite will then send
even an Apache Indian to the happy
hunting grounds, and quickly at
that.
"A Piute Indian who wants to lay
i'm a stock of poison for his arrows
kills. at this time Of year, enough OF
these rattlesnakes for his purpose.
He cuts off their heads and takes
them to his lodge. He places in one
of the rude earthen vessels that are
among the Piute household effects
ten or a dozen snake heads. To them
he adds perhaps a pint OF tarantula
killers, as the big. Texan or Mexican
wasp is called, or, rather, he puts the
abdomen of the wasp in with the
snake heads. The wasp has a sting
that injects IA poison subtle enough al
most instantly to kill tarautula,
which is itself about as poisonous
member of the animal kingdom as
one would care to meet with. The
poison of the tarantula killer is in the
lower abdomen of the insect, and 1t
il this the Piute brave mixes with the
rattlesnake heads He then pours in
a pint of water, seals the lid of the
vessel on with moist clay, and places
the vessel in pit where he has made
q bed of red-hot Goals, and besides
that. builds blazing fire on top OF it.
This fire is kept burning fiercely for
several hours, when il is swept away,
and the Indian digs his vessel out oil
the Goals. With long pole he
knocks the lid of, and does not ven
ture near the pot until the steam
that arises from il as soon at the I'D
is taken off entirely ceases to appear.
The Piute say that to inhale the
smallest quantity Of that steam would
be instant death. Whether that is
true or not | ain not able TO say, as L
never saw it put TO the test. After
the fiery ordeal to which the snake
heads are put is over, brownish re-
siduum remains in the bottom OF the
kettle. That is certainly the double
auintessence of poison, if its action
on human blood, or, at least, Indian
blood, is any indication. The Piute
always tests this poison before trust
ing his arrow TO II. he cuts gdsn
in the fieshy part OF his leg and draws
the blood, which he lets trickle down
his leg. When the red blood has run
down six or seven inches he dips a
stick in the poison, and touches ii 70
the lower end of the bloody streak.
II the poison is all right it actually
burns the blood almost like hot iron
touched to water, and rapidly runs
up the trickling stream. The Indian
has his knife ready and scrapes the
poisoned blood of dry. II it wal
permitted to reach the wound Il
would be all up with the Piute. Th'
arrows are dipped into this poison
and the Indian feels that whatsoevel