The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-11-02

an accomplishment in which the South
American boa constructor exceis all
other snakes in the world-appearing
at each respiration to swell himself
to double his natural size. His
bright, unblfnking eyes were steadily
fixed on me. His black forked tongue
quivered ont in front threateningly,
and every few seconds he interrupted
his kissing to bite fereely forward at
me, with his terrible jaws opened to
their widest extent. By degrees thus
drew him away entirely from Pedro
and over the open gravel
Alternately he would dash madly
at me and then gather himself anew
for another spring. Slowly he was
following me, while l retreated. At
every attack his powerful tail would
swish through the loose gravel send
ing the dry dust in yellowish clouds
about himself Now that he was far
enough away, I gave the word to
Pedro to jump up and cut good
sized pole in the thicket. With this
we both managed to press down his
neck, pinning him firmly to the
ground. upon which he tried vainly
to turn and bite the offending wood,
and twisted himself around it right
up to our very hands. Quickly at my
call the other hunters came to our as
sistance and while they held on. some
to the pole and some to the snake, l
myself caught him firmly, Just as Pedro
had done before, around the neck with
1A J. L, l. L
the head. Pedro by the tail and some
others by the middle. we soon got him
loose from the pole, and in triumph
bore him off homewards through the
forest; for none of the bags we had
with US was anything like large enough
to stow him in.
For as we moved onward through
the forest in procession with our prize
every obstacle in the way became q
new source of difficulty. The matted
thicllets of thorny palms pricl1ed US in
the faces and arms as we passed and
irritated the snake so that he struggled
fercely for freedom. Some who had
held on to him even let go their holds,
and repeatedly he gave us infinite
trouble By getting small turns of his
body half around stout branches and
saplings that rubbed against him.
The tangles of vines, too, SO frequently
tripped us up. that before we went
very far we were almost completely
tired out, and had unwillingly to de-
wise another method of transporting
him.
We stopped to rest in an open spot
where there lay remnant of pros
trate tree about twenty feet long and
eighteen inches in diameter, with it's
interior entirely followed out by the
combined work of natural decay and
wood-borirg insects. Itwas suggested
that, if one end of the cavity was
stopped up, we could allow our captive
to glide into it, and then having closed
up the other end also carry him home
on our shoulders, for the whole frag-
ment was as dry as tinder and not
heavier than so much cork. According
ly, having plugged up one end with
bundles of vines and leaves tightly
wadded in, we got the snake to 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 similar
manner to the first, and so securing
the kissing prisoner within, we no.
ticed some small ants making their
appearance through the interstices,
but, being so taken with the success of
our expedient, didn't pay much atten-
ton to them at the time. As soon,
however, as we took the burden on our
shoulders the efforts of the imprisoned
serpent became frantic for escape
with the result that his writings dis
turbed a whole colony OF the terrible
fire ants in the interior. which,
swarming in millions through every
crack and crevice. covered our necSs
and shoulders, getting down between
our clothing and our skins, stinging
multaneously we dropped our load and
began to tear off our clothing as fast
as possible to rid ourselves of our
tormentors. This was not the worst.
either, for the frail receptacle
in which we carried our prisoner
smashed to pieces with the fall, and
liberated the tortured occupant on the
open ground in the midst of US. scat
tering the ants about for yards on
every side. Well are these insect de-
mons named fire ants" for their
stings burn like red-hot needles points
driven into the flesh. Nor could the
unfortunate snake withstand them
any more than ourselves. Off he scurried
through the woods with all the energy
he could muster. 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
runaway. shouting to US to follow him
with all his might. Anyone who has
experienced the torInents of these ter
rible insects will well understand our
utter neglect of his appeals for aid.
Our necks and shoulders felt if they
had been roasted with burning fire.
and ten inmates must have fully
elapsed before we could shake the
last of the pestilent insects from our
infested garments. When. finally,
with scalding skins. we did try TO join
in the pursuit. we met Pedro coming
slowly back with his clothing torn to
shreds. and his face and hands bleed
ing from hundred thorn wounds. He
had pursued the boa empty y-handed,
having thoughtlesSly dropped his indis-