The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1891-01-24
LASsoING A BIG SNAKE
Cowboys Come to the Rescue OF .
Mexican Plantation.

Mexican Plantation.
Returning from q short visit to N;
i apas, writes a Paso del Norte Mex;co,
correspondent of the New York Sun I
met a Mexican peon, an old acc uaintanc.
named Leon Carrizo, who had iust ~
rived from the coffee plantations of ~.
/ southwest.
Anything worth seeing down in Won,
country" l asked.
Nothing specially intercstiup.r bs
answered, except that at this season i
is the worst country on the face of the
earth for spiders and snakes. Why the
toads down in Pachucha and Orizaba ara
bigger than your hat. You may be sit.
ting under your vines some fine after,oo,
reading paper when all at once a bio
dabby. gray thing as large as a chair
cushion will flop out from the weeds and
approach you with the utmost familiar.
ity. We never disturb them, for thew
ire sure death to poisonous insects and
perfectly harmless to us. Down in tho
lower country we do not mind such
things so much as we do the deadly
snakes.
"There is sort of hoopsnake in the
Vera Cruz country called 'coralito.' A
slender, but exceedingly active fellow
crimson in color, which has vicious
bite which is almost as deadly as that OF
your terrible RATHER. ~~.
"About three weeks ago I was passing
through the coffee plantation of INV
friend SandOval, near Pachucha. when in
the hot. broiling sun was astonished to
see the natives drop their work and rush
about as if they were mad. Pretty soon
an intelligent peon shouted for me to 90
as fast as | could from the spot. 90
The serpent" he cried. 'IIe is com.
ing. Run for your life" For moment
was dazed, bnt taking to my heels, |
followed the others, and soon arrived at
the hacienda All was excitement
there. Two of the most expert COWBOYS
in all Mexico happened to be at the
hacienda. They gathered their Mexi-
can riatas or grass ropes securely, and
urging their mustangs slowly forward,
followed by the shouting rabble, eau
tiously approached the ploughed field
where the snake was said to be-"
rs this yarn" / asked, ''or is it
fact!"
Fact, 1 assure you," answered my
friend.
The cowboys and the crowd moved
slowly down to the field, and there in the
middle, with neck elevated and head wag-
ging from side to side, was the biggest
serpent lever saw in my life. Two bulls
and one cow which he had bitten lay
dead on the ground near by. His body
was as big as mans leg, and his fiat,
agly head looked as large as dishpan.
The reptile saw us coming, and making
An immense coil he waited for our ap-
proach. Slowly the cowboys rode up
to him, their mustangs snorting and
prancing. and when within a safe dis
lance they began to ride around the
snake in circle, swinging their larists
at the same time and going at tremen-
dOus pace.
Ground and round they went at q
iizzy speed, the snake attempting to fol-
low them with his head, but it was very
confusing, and soon mixed him up badly.
The mustangs galloped faster and faster,
and just at the right moment, a cowboy
On each side of him, two magic circles
swung quivering out into the air, and
two fatal nooses settled down over tho
head of the big writhing creature. The
cowboys knew their business and the
mustangs knew theirs. First Tightening
the noOses with several quick little jerks,
both riders let their ropes have all the
slack they could, and then, keeping about
Six yards apart they started off in the
same direction, as fast as they could.
The consequence was that the snake had
his feet pulled from under him. so to
speak, and was dragged for nearly mile
by those fiery young mustangs over the
toughest road they could pick out"
"Well, that is whopper," at length
found words to say.
No whopper about it," answered the
Mexican, "but straight facts. He meas
Ired twenty five feet after the boys had
got through with him, for he was veiJ
Timber and soft after the rough handling
they gave HIM and his hide had been
broken on the sharp rocks. We left tho
carcass on the field that night, but be-
fore morning band of peccaries, or
musk hogs, came sneaking out OF the
timber, and devoured every scrap exceps
the bones and horny tail. There is an.
other one down there, the female, and
mate of the one we killed. The boys
are after her, and 1 should not be sur.
prised if within ano: her week she would
be treated and served even worse than
her partner"