Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-09-19
Our Deadliest Snake.

The Southwest is more literally sup
piled with venomous things than any
other area in the union.
My first meeting with one was in Va
lencia county, n. NJ, in June, 1890, on
the sandy fanks of the Cerra del Aire,
| was out hunting jack rabbits, in COM
pany with some Indian friends, and had
dismounted to stalk, leading my pet horse
by the bride Ny eyes were on a small
chapparal bush ahead when suddenly
Alazan snorted and reared backward so
violently as to almost unhiDge my arm.
l looked about in surprise, for Alazan
was too good horse to mind trifes. The
only thing visible was tiny object, not
nearly so large as a good stag beetle,
merely head, and perhaps an inch of
neck. But it was the most frightful OBJ
iect in It's kind that l had ever SEEM
The head, certainly neither so broad nor
so long as my thumbnail, had a shape
and an air of condensed malignity impOs-
sible TO describe. 1t seems the very es.
sence of wickedness and hate, fairly bulg-
ing with deadly spite, and growing upon
one until it looked several times its actual
size. The ugly triangle, which is the dis
tinguishing mark of all venomous snakes,
being formed by the poison gland back
of each eye, told me at once that Alszan
was keeping up his reputation-neyer
did he shy at a harmless snake-and the
tiny horns, which added a peculiar and
grotesque hideousness, left no doubt that
this was a pichu.cuate. He had buried
himself almost to the .head in the gray
sand, against which his upper skin was
barely distinguishable, and thus in am
bush was waiting for something to turn
up.
Turning Alazan loose, knelt at the
safe distance of yard to study the little
creature, which fairly swelled with MUIR
derous rage. 1t not only struck madly
at the chappara switch thrust out at it,
but at last, evidently discerning that the
blame lay back of the switch, actually
followed it up, and with such agility that
| had to jump back without loss of time.
The idea of retreat never seemed TO enter
that fiat head. Sometimes he would lie
and puff out with impotent rage, throw
ing his mouth so wide open that it seemed
the venom must start, and sometimes he
glided toward me, his head an inch above
the ground, with an attitude which SEEM
ed to say "Stand still there and we'll
see who laughs"
At last | killed him. He was neither
larger round nor longer than an ordinary
lead pencil, a cold, leaden gray on the
back, but underneath rosy as the mouth
Of conch she'll. The fangs were tiny,
not much more than an eighth Of an inch
long, and as delicate as the tiniest needle.
A wondrous mechanism this mouth, with
its two automatic needles, so ininitesimal,
yet so perfectly competent opened the
ugly little jaws wide, pressing upon the
sides of the head when the recurving
fangs had risen from their grooves in the
root of the mouth and stood tense,
stream so inconceivably fnet hat the eye
could barely note it spurted from each,
and in the space of two or three inches
melted into invisible spray. Yet that jet,
finer than a cobweb strand, was enough
to give swift death to the largest and
strongest animal that walks.-C. f. Lton-
guis IN Mem York SIM.