Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-12-13
NEAR UNTO DEATH.
Snake Hunter OReIIy's Close Gail
with n Cope rhesd-

Up IN Putnam county. Just n shor
distance east Of Cold spring on tn,
Hust>pu- II n famous place for the mos
dangerous game tn be found in thii
part of the countrv-th- copp-rheasi
- eumn1ou are these venonous snake,
that hunters when intending 10 tramv
through .hc thick underbrush or IN.
tall marsh reeds which flank all ths
ruats about there wear heavy boot,
reaching above the knee for prptecffor
against the bit->- In the very hot ans
dry weather. when snakes are Iiw~Iie~i
Ensl hcrcc~t. sportsmca scarcely ven
tur~ IN the thicker part Of the wood,
az all The snake fame % this locaIity
reached the ears % - r O'ReilIv. 81
the Royal Geological S,lcietv Of Ire
iaad- an ophioloxist who = in thi.
country studying American snake,
and he decided IN % up to Cold spring
and Try - grt some coCp-rheaiS alive
Mr. WReiliy Aas had experiences with
the cobra Of Africa. the fcr-.ie- lane.
OF the West Indie>. the diamond -ba... !.
rattiesuaiSc pf this country aud aasr.i
of the othrr venomouS snakes knovr
u science. but never did b.. eoms
nearer "a disastrous termination o.
bis career than oa his little iaunt L
Cold Spring Also he was treated q
repetition OF a lesson in ,nak-ry
which he learned long agu. that ON.
must Be prepared for anything ana
everything IN hunting saa&es
II was not a very favorable das
when Ne reached Cold Spring with a
cumuanion FROM this city The two
S~nt directly "a l. e.. H2ny-n. OF Nel
sonvtlir who knows more about
-ua<-s than aay other nan in Putnam
county. and asked him for inforrna
tisu regarding tho haants os the coD
prrhea1iS.
ITO right down ~ Muddy bridge,
about three miles from here. said the
veteran You can find more copper.
heads there than there i IN a barrel o.
aPpisiae<- What are Fog going d
catch en- with
Here : our outHs. said Mr. . Reilly
{ exhibiting long stick crooked At ons
ensi. and a bix bag Il nail the eop
T Perhesd down b. putting the stick
across his neck and then drop hin
into the bay and there sou are
We'll. said the 1f.E sslau. "a sare
TO issue an Insurance. policy on run
F life.
The snake hunter iaugheL and
after thanking squire Hanyen for the
Information. walked on with his com.
Paninn- Toward noon Il came on v-ry
warm. and the hunters going 20 Maslsi J
bridge fell in with young man named
Lasher OReilly's friend vent an
about a mile 20 explore al open a.Id.
+ while the snake expert stayed - make
some inquiries OF LAsher
Il don't know how it j. when you -
hunting for them" SAID that vaunz
man; but when you're Iaozinx fos
other things there's more cspp-rheA.ls
than you want in this patch OF xssoss.
at our right Thick boots have sax-.a
ne more than once in there n v8ss' =
going N I'll stay here n the road and
watch for snakes crossing over Ru,
you want IN be mighty careful va-rs
you step
This advice was shouted after the
scientist who had already plunxe,;
into the thiekes taxing hts Ianr stics
with him- Progress vas very slow.
The explorer was pretty tired when be
had forced his vaF through huuaires.
yaryts Of the thics szagl-. zass the = xh'
Of n little clearing where n hix tree
had fallen vas VERY welcome Z vas
not quite 4 clearing either t1r rear
the tree 4 fAicx netting af tusw~rv
c-eepers hal sprunx u7. through whieh
only small patches % rround rsala -
seen IN 0n~ Of the>~ op~niuxs NJ
. Reilly saw whAE appeared 10 - q
good ssze1 eoppsrh~ad The suzie- had
seen aim. too. and with il head rzls-si
a tesv inches frura tne coil was wzs.h
ing him with interest. one u tas
I Peeullarirle. % a eDpp-rhe4f Is sha'
Z yau can never tell when Il w571 run aad
when & viii staad sad sxhu Est
IDENTIFY this ones Dalisv was q sghr
Il struck the natarali.t sr~n sh~a taa,
from what hscoul,l see u the end th~rv
was an extraordinary ietof T. WEs5ilv
I pressed the thiel <roWth 81 rr~~p~r,
over to either -sd- amt th~n .Aat III,
stick IN right above the reptiles aos<
{ The eatlik- eyes glstf~r-.I n th@,
moved in following tn. notiau of "a.
stick and the forsed tongue shat cot
T It's yellow points trembling aerxoasI,
like the antenns Of an insec. Other
wise the snake never moved az all
though the man could see IL vas a.
ready ~ strike. O'R.iIly stood witai,
yard Of the reptile in n position xut
1ciently dangerous % max. him eas
tiouS. for the taic<et in which ne VA
entangied grew 50 ere--,iinxly deus.
that he could not move with e-Ieris'
IN any direction AIthoaxh the snake
head Vas IN The middle 0f the col -,
very awkward position for catching
the hunter nevertheless brought dowi
the stick over IT, neck. intending Z
gently but srmIy press il - u,
ground The thickness % the coil
vas greater than that Of the neck. :.
the copr-rhead was able 70 shoot ou
its head beneath the stick fully q,
inches beyond the coil as Il comm,
right toward the hunter Quiexl,
taxing advantage of this BY jeri
/ 0Rsillv transferred the stick 70 IN
new and better position in which tn
head was nov placed The dexterog
transfer was not. however. guicke
than the s1alxe. for il bit the stick 1
its passage Nevertheless. the site
lay now On the snakes neck. and a
with his right hand and knee th
hunter held Il there firmly. he quick
reached in with his left hand aud too
his snaksshiP round the throat wit
the top OF his thumb beneath the NJ
der Jaw suEiSisntly far down 70 escAr
the clasp Of tue faagz. and yet not !
'o~ tha. tss snake eoald possibly taz