The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-10-22

| before the hIssinp snake and with botn
hands nrofected bv the bags, as with box
| ing gloves feigned a blow at MN ~ ~ a,,
| ment Pedro Embossed his grasp. lnS vi.
| ragged animal, seeing me thus menaSine'y
| moving in front OF him, gave vent "
| most terrifying hiss. and OIL wv" s,' .,,h.
with widely-gaping jaws. he SUI - bIs
| toward my face, but fell sioie 80,
mark, for he was too much ens"inss
around the boy TO reach out lar enouen
| to catch me. His folds now Oesan I"
| loosen on Pedro ALI his rage being direct
ed at me. This was Just what luesIeu' "
draw him from his relaxing embrace vi
my assistant, and so allow the latter 10
come TO my aid in effeeung ms capture
For several minutes / Kept ,ne aii s.
snake thus biting at me; anu do at 49,,
each attack ne would unwlnu anoen.i
twist OF his body, Pedro Whoh Iepea
eddy warned to stay quiet was SUI a.
most entirely free, while SPARED FIsol
ously with my Kissing Antagonist "ltHou1'
Of course, ever allowing him 10 Sae0n my
Ut onser each roment seemed to be re-
doubled. and with II the noise Oh MS MSS ss
inc Increased. He saw no one but me- lot
bv nv advice. they all remained periectiy
still lest any movement OF theirs shouln
draw off his attention. lie nlsscu iout
enough TO be heard two nunuIeu SaiuS
awsy-seemingly as loud as DONKEY en-
CINE. an accomplishment IN WHICH tue
South American bOa-constrlctor eAceis al
other snakes in the world-appearing at
each respiration TO swell himself TO douDie
his natural size. His bright unolin ,,1is
eyes were steadily fixed on me- ms p SIIe
fcrked tor que quivered out III -,
the atenir gly and every rev secOi ,1 ne
interruuted his kissing to bite nercely lor
e.
10 their widest extent. BY degrees L ulus
crew him away entirely from Pedro anu
out over the open gravel,
Alternately he would dash mauly al
me and then gather himseh ane" iol
another spring. Slowly he was following
me while | retreated. At every attack
bIs nowerful tail would swish through
the loose gravel sending the dry dust III
vei,owish clouds about himself NOW tiidt
he was far enough away, l gave the Wolu
10 Pedro TO jump up and cut goou ST. So
pole in the thicket. With TINS we Do'h
managed 10 press down his neck, pinnlhg
him firmly TO the ground, upon when ne
tried vainly TO turn and bite the ohehdliis
wood. and twisted himself around IL
right up to our very hands. Quickly at
my call the other hunters came 10 our
assistance and while they held on some
TO the pole and some 10 the snake my
self caught him firmly, just as feuto hdl
done before, around the neck win oolh
hands. Now that 1 had him by the heau'
Pedro by the tail, and some others by
the middle we soon got MIN loose from
the pole and in triumph bore him OF nome
wards through the forest; for none OF the
bags we had with us was anything Ike
large enough to stow him IN
Now this was a very clumsy way OF
catching a boa-corstrictor, and not my
method at all: which will be described in
IN article written for St Nicholas Mag
azine. Yet owing TO Pedro's first impetu-
osity in trying TO capture him as he did,
and so engaging him before we could de-
wise means TO provide for so bulky prs
oner. what else could be done under the
circumstances The very fact OF having
nothing proper 10 stow him in was after
wards the cause of spelling the whole
fruit Of our labOrs.
For as we moved onward through the
forest in procession with our prize every
obstacle in the way became new source
Of difficulty. The matted thickets OF
thorny palms pricked US in the faces and
arms as we passed and irritated the snake
so that he struggled fiercely for freedom
Some who had held on to him even let go
their hold. and repeatedly he gave us in
finite trouble by getting small turns Of
his body half around stout branches and
sapplings that rubbed against him. The
tangled vines, too, so frequently tripped
us up, that before we went very far we
were almost completely tired out, and had
unwlllngly to devise another method OF
Transporting him.
We stopped 10 rest in an open spot
where there lay a remnant Of a PROSTATE
tree about twenty feet long and eighteen
inches in diameter, with its interior entire
ly followed out by the combined work Of
natural decay. and wood boring insects.
1t was suggested that If one end Of the
cavity was stopped up. we could allow
our captive TO glide into It and then hay
ing closed up the other end also carry him
home on our shoulders-for the whole
frament was as dry as finder and not
heavier than so much cork. According
~, having plugged up one end with bun
dies OF vines and leaves tightly wadded
I'm. we got the snake 10 enter readily by
releasing his head in the mouth Of the
open end and scratching him vigorously
about the tail, because he thought he was
escaping into the darkness Of the Interior.
AS we were stopping up the second end
In a similar manner 10 the first. and so
securing the Kissing prisoner within. we
noticed some small ants making their
being so taken with the success Of our
expedient didn't pay much attention to
them at the time. AS soon, however as
we took the burden on our shoulders the
efforts Of the imprisoned serpent became
frantic Tor escape, with the result that
his writings disturbed a whole colony OF
the terrible fire ants" in the interior.
which, swarming in millions through every
crack and crevice covered our necks and
shoulders, getting down between our
clothing and our skins, stinging and Bit
! ing us with such fury that simultaneously
we dropped our load and began to tear of
| our clothing as fast as possible. to rid
ourselves OF our tormentors. This was
not the worst either, for the fraii recepta-
Gle IN which we carried our prisoner
| smashed 10 pieces with the fall, and
| liberated the tortured occupant on the
| open ground in the midst Of us, scattering
| the ants about for yards on every side.
| Well are these insect demons named fire
ants" for their stngs burn like red hot
| needles points driven into the flesh. Nor
could the unfortunate snake Withstand
them any more than ourselves. OF he
| scurried through the woods with all the
| energy he could master. Pedro who had
| been detailed TO carry the belongings Of
the rest Of us, and so escaped the ants,
dropped his burdens and pursued the run
away, shouting TO us 10 follow him with
| all his might. Any one who has ever
| experienced the torments Of these terrible
insects, will well understand our utter
| neglect OF his appeals for aid. Our necks
| and shoulders felt IL they had been
| roasted with burning fire and ten minutes