Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-12-07
POISON FOR ARROWS.
HOW TIE DEADLY STUFF is MADE
BY THE INDIANS

Carefully Guarded.
had been cattle ranChman on the
plains of southeastern Arizona for some
two years before | could find out how
the Apaches poison their arrow tips.
The Indians inherit from their anccs-
tors an intense scCrCtlVcness dis 10 the
manner of their preparation OF venom
for hunting or warliko purposes. a trib-
al chief years ago would as soon think
of cutting off his own head as TO let an
other chief know some method peculiar
to the tribe for preparing powerful
poison Now that the savages use fire
arms almost TO the exclusion OF their
primitive weapons the older warriors
will not, if they can, allow information
concerning their tribal manufacture of
venom TO become known among the
palefaces. | had i'll my employ bright
young Indian buck, who gave me full
information concerning the way the
plains Indians have for many genera
tions made the poisonous fluids for their
arrows. One day he went so far as TO
get permission for me TO go over to the
mountains e. sec tribe of Iavapais
get their weapons III proper poisonous
condition
RattlrSnakes afford most Il the Apa-
che and Pluto Indians Venomous COM
mounds. TO sec the Savages prepare the
poi,ons and try their efficacy on them
selves is enough to distress even from
tiersman 5 dreams. The bloated rattle
snake of the hot alkal deserts of Arr.
coma on the panhandle Of Texas makes
the most powerful poison. There Is no
moro hideous and deadly serpent III
America than the bloatcd rattler. 1t Is
a terror even to an Apache Indian, and
if there is one thing that Is worse than
4 ruttlesnake in the opinion OF plains
men and settlers III eastern Texas and
southern Arizona 1t l. an Apache lndl-
an. The Piute>, although a more cow
ardly gang than the Apaches, hold this
raltlcsnakc III less horror, but they give
il plenty ot room The Piutes draw on
the snake for their poison after 1t Is
dead The Apaches, in spite of their
fear Of the snake, make it contribute its
venom To- them while II is alive.
The rattlc~nakc of the Arizona desert
grow, to Il length of Is feet and attains
a yirth Of Is inches at the thickest part
/ Thov havc tremendous sets Of rattles
( TIN, SNAKE has fangs an inch long and
T.. frequently fitted with Two sets. The
poi,un sacs al the base of these fangs
! an. a. big IL "a hazelnut. The snake Is "a
! bright yellow in color
! The desert rafticsuako j. d dreadful
enough customer amy day III the year,
bat during August takes on the fuliness
Of is iiightruncss both in appearance
/ and conduct About tho middle OF Au-
rust. wA,n the WCothlI T. insutferably
! hot. this snake becomes blOdtCd from
some cause until il is third larger than
is normal size. Its appearance is as II
the snake had been blown up like a
/ bladder or charged with gas like "A bal
loon. This RATHER Is always sluggish
| and slow III its movements, and like all
Of il, kind usually makes an effort tc
,ict ont of tho way of It's intruders, but
-, August it simply lies still III blOatod
lcpui,.4.uc and will not move for any
thin4. being ready at all times 10 strike
at everything that comes near It. AZ
near as you can got at 1t, this rattle
,uak, at that time of the year Is simply
u swollen reservoir Of venom.
A Piuts Indian who wishes to lay IL
:, stock ~ poison tor his arrows kills, a
this timn ~ year, cno1gil of these rat
tlcsnakcs for bj. purpose lie cuts OF
their heads and takes tlicia 20 bis lodge
He places in one of the rude cartheI
,e.,cl> that are among the Piute house
hold effects ton or Il dozen OF these
.nakc hoipls. 10 them be adds perhaps
pint Of ttaRtuia killer, as the biz
hairy Texan or Mexican spider Is call
90. or rather ne puts the abdomen U
the ,pid,r IN with the snake heads
TIN, spider has sting that inJects
poison sulfl. lnQugh almost To kill Ia
rutula instantly, which ~ itself abou
~ poisonous "a invnliicf ~ the ANNA
kingdom rs ono would care 90 meet
. Tie poison sac of the tarantula killer i
in the lower abdomen Of the insect, ant
il i, this the Pluto brave mixes with tn
, rattlosnake heads He then pours II
r "a pilt ~ watCr, seals the lid of the YES
, sci on with moist clay and places tn
vessel in IA pit whore me has made bet
&C hot Goals. He buries the vessel IL
these Goals. aud besides that builds
blazing ire on top of it. This fire J
kept bnruing fierooly for several hours
when il /, swept away, aud tho lndial
dig, his vessel ont of tho Goals. With
. lons pole nc knocks tho lid off and doe
: not venture near the pot until tho stean
1 that arises from il ~ soon as tho lid
9 tak,n OIL entirely ceases to appear.
{ The Piute- say that to inhale tn
= smallest quantity Of that steam woul
n be instant death. Whether that is tru
{ or not am not able 10 say, rs | neve
saw il put 10 the test. After the fer
! ordeal to which the snake heads are pu
: L. over. u brownish residuum remains i
the bottom 1T the kettle. That is Gel
tatlly the double quintessence Of poison
il IL, action on human blood, or, a
u lc,si. Indian blood, is any indication
. The Pluto always tests his poison befor
! trusting his arrows 10 IL. He cuts