The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-21
DEATH ONE INCH FROM HIM.
snake Hsnter O'Reiiiy's Close Call with 9
Copperhsad.

| Cepperhsad.
| Up in Putnam county, just q short distanc,
east OF Cold Spring on the Hudson. Is a famous
| place for the most dangerous game TO be found
| in this part OF the Countrywide copperhead. Sc
| common are these venomous snakes that hunters
| when intending to tramp through the thick un
| derbrush or the tall marsh reeds which fanh
all the roads about there, wear heavy boot:
reaching above the knee for protection against
the bites. In the very hot and dry weather
when snakes are liveliest and fercest. sportsmer
scarcely venture in the thicker parts Of the woods
| at all. The snake fame of this locality reached
the ears Of G. r. OReilly of the Royal Biological
| Society of Ireland. an ophologist who IL In this
| country studying American snakes, and he de-
| cided TO go up to Cold Spring and try to get
| some copperheads alive. Mr.. O'Reilly has had
| experiences with the cobra of Africa tho fer-de-
| lance OF the West Indies, the diamond ack
rattlesnake of this country, and most OF the
| other yenomous snakes known TO science, but
never did he come nearer to q disastrous termi-
nation Of his career than on his little jaunt to
Cold Spring. Also he was treated TO a repetition
| OF a lesson in snakery which he learned long
ago. that one must be prepared for anything and
| everything in hunting snakes.
II was not a very favorable day when he
reached Cold Spring with companion from
this city. The two went directly to ]. G. Hanyen
OF jacksonville, who knows more about snakes
than any other man In Putnam county. and
ask ed him for information regarding the haunts
of the copperheads.
go right down TO Muddy Bridge, about three
miles from here" said the veteran. You can
find more copperheads there than there is in a
barrel OF applejsck. What are you going to
catch 'em within"
Here's our OUTFIT" said Mr.. O'Reilly. exhibit
ing a long stick crooked at one end, and a big
bag. ~ nail the copperhead down by putting
the stick across his neck till can get my hand
around his neck and then drop him into the
bag, and there you are"
WELL" said the old man. I'D hate TO issue
an insurance policy on your life"
The snake hunter laughed. and after banking
Squire Hanyen for the information, walked on
with his companion. Toward noon II came on
very warm, and the hunters going to Muddy
Bridge fell in with young man named Lasher.
O'Reilly's friend went on about a mile TO ex-
plore an open field. while the snake pert stayed
20 make some inquiries OF Lasher.
~ don't know how II Is when you're hunting
for them" said that young man; but when
you're looking for other things there's more
copperheads than you want In this patch OF
woods at our right. Thick boots have saved me
more than once in there. IL you're going in III
stay here in the road and watch for snakes
full where you step"
This advice was shouted after the scientist,
who had already plunged intO the thicket,
taking his long stick with him. Progress
very slow. The explorer was pretty tired when
he had forced his way through hundred
yards OF the thick tSngle, and the sight
OF a little clearing where big tree
had fallen was very welcome. IL was
not quite a clearing either for near
the tree a thick netting Of hOwery creepers had
sprung up. through which only small patches of
ground could be seen In one OF these openings
Mr.. OReilly saw what appeared 70 be good
sized coppeFhead. The snake had seen him,
too. and with its head raised few inches from
the coil was watching him with interest. One
OF the peculiaTities OF a copperheAd IL that you
can never tell hen il will run and when 1t will
stand and fight Evidently this ones policy
was 20 ight. II struck the naturalist even tken
that FROM what he could see OF the coil there
Was an extraordinary lnt Of IL. OReilly pressed
the thick growth OF CreepeFs over 10 either side
and then shot his stick In right above the rep
tiles nose.
The catliks eyes glittered as they moved in
following the motion OF the stick. and the forked
tongue shot out itA yellow points trembling
neryously like the AntennHe of an insect. Other
wise the snake never moved a. ALL though the
man could see il was ALREADY tostrike. OReilly