The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-16
AN ASP AND DEADLY.
AMERICAS MOST DEADLY SNAKE is
THE PlCHU-CUATE.


of His First Meeting With One,
Tho southwest is moro literally sup
piled with vcnomous things than any
other area i'll tho Union In the burn
ing deserts, i'll tho inhabited but arid
eXpansos of New Mexico and Arizona,
the rattlesnako abounds, and i'll several
varieties, including the strange and
deadly ''sidewinder, Crotolus cerastes.
The so called tarantula-rcally only q
gigantic bush spider, but mono tho less
dangerous because of the misnomer-is
decidedly common. Scorpions arc none
too rare i'll the southern portions Of the
territories, and in all parts centipeds
of to inches long arc frequent and
ncighborly. But the chief distinction
of the region i'll this respect is the pres
cnce of tho pichucuate, the deadliest
snake in North America
The pichu-cuate matches tho worst
serpent of India Not only the most
highly venomous, but tho tiniest and
most treacherous, no would be also tho
most dangerouS-but, luckily, he is the
rarcst He is the only true asp on this
continent, and in the United States is
never found outside of New Mexico and
Arizona. That he was also known to
the ancient MeXicans is apparent from
his name-pichu-c oatl, m Aztec word,
which was brought up to our territory
by the Spanish conQuerors
My first meeting with one was in
Valencia county, n. NJ, in June, 1890,
on the sandy TANKS of the Cerro del
Aire. was out hunting jack rabbits, in
company with some Indian friends, and
had dismounted to stalk, leading my
pet horse by the bride My eyes were
OH small chapparo bush ahead, when
suddenly Alazan snortcd and reared
backward so violently rs almost to un-
hinge my arm. I looked about in sur
prise, for Alazan was too good horse
to mind trifles. AS there was nothing to
be seen, 1 started to pull him forward
Again he protested and with evident
terror, and CHANGING to look at my very
feet 1 understood his fear and felt
very grateful that his senses were better
than mine, for in another step should
have walked upon my death
The only thing visible was IL tiny OBJ
jcct, not nearly so largo us good stag
beetle merely head and perhaps an
inch of neck But it was the most
frightful object III its kind that l had
ever seen The head, certainly neither
so broad nor so long rs my thumb nail,
had Il shape and an air of condensed
malignity impossible to describe. 1t
seemed tho very essence Of wiclc<lness
and hate, fairly bullying with deadly
spite, and growing upon one until it
looked several times its actual size.
The ugly triangle (Which Is the distin-
gushing mark of all venomous snakes,
being formed by the poison gland back
OF each cye) told me ut once that Ala
Fan Was keeping up his rcputation-
never did he shy at harmless snake
and the tiny horns, which added Pc
cullar and grotesQue hideousnoss, left
no doubt that this was pichu-cuate
He had buried himself most to the head
IN the gray sand, against which his up
per skin was barely distinguishablc and
thus Ill ambush was waiting for some
thing to- turn up.
Turning AlaZan loose, / knelt at the
safe distance of yard to study the lit
tie creature, which fairly swcllcd with
murdcrous rage. 1t not only struck
madly at the chapparo switch thrust
to it, but ut last evidently discerning
that the blame lay back of the switch,
actually followed it up, and with such
agility that had TO jump up and back
without loss of time. The idea of re-
treat never seemed to enter that flat
head. Sometimes he would lie and puff
out with impotcnt rage, throwing his
mouth so wide open that it seemed the
venom must start, and sometimes he
glidcd toward me, his head an inch
above the ground, with an attitude
which seemed to say, "Stand still there
and We'll see who laughs.
At last | killed him He was neither
larger round nor longer than an ortli-
nary lead pencil; cold, lcadcn gray
on the back, but underneath rosy as the
mouth OF conch shell The fangs were
tiny, not much moro than an eighth of
an inch long and Us delicate us the TIM
est needle. y wondrouS mechanism. this
mouth, with its two automatic needles.
so lnfinitcsimal, Yet so perfectly compc-
tent. opened the ugly little jaws wide,
pressing upon the sides of the head. and
WHOM the rcurving fangs had risen
from their grooves III the roof of the
mouth and stood tense stream so in
conccivably fine that the eye could bare
ly note it spurted from each, and in the
space of two or three inches melted into
invisible spray. Yet that jet, finer than
cobwcb strand, was enough to give
swift death to the largest and strongest
animal that walks.
When the hunt was over told nv
Indian chums Of the pichu-cuatc and
asked them many questions They all
knew OF the snake, though several had