Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-03-12

ninanes
modatins a a sword swaliower.sl:ne.s 70
tricky. too. and the natives Of theSs.,s1ss.
jester. M
For instance. in HIS native G i. me ,ss
prickly pear ilourisheS The pricki1sr. q
needles sticking out from Il In ever Kaa-
tion. incidentally it produces a
fruit that Is good TO sat. and has, u:
aSterfs;tie. howeves. i II shorn s.s Il tina ha$
the custom Of the GOIrea del camin0A
aliases are the snake killer the ~
cock-to play with these thorns to tl&sy.
advantage of snakes. II not only SsssS
him to do SO. hut 1t provides him Will aid
where he thrives. and he has his nj oahsr.
nil. From the south Of California lara
south OF Colorado: through Western Sim s
neetsst Of all fowl. as wen a. crso,as
things in terror of IT,. The pricklA2nM
trick with the snake works sOmethire os.
this. according to the native d~escriptead-
How He leases the RRttlessSs0ss.
The road runner finds u rattlesnakeesr
a bird or two and a couple Of frogs IT,
his scaly skin. He chirrups lOwly to Il
self and takes observations. Carefull9t:
,adjudges the abdomin distentionOf thaEs
gestion has advanced. He also nOtes1e
density of Slumber in which his intes{a
victim is INDUCING. Then he twists htlsl,
round a little. with side steps and a ceQs-
fullness of the neck. to see II hs is ina
dition for the coming tumult F~inding1pa
self satisfactory. he makes for the merit:
young side sprouts-paddle limbs. g.
might be called make a heaHs,TnH
stacks them up in Il circle about the slc
,nE reptiie. shSrns pointing IL from eX
upon this work with an acute n scienS
eye and seen that the rattlesnake sl(
Soundly and that its muscular coil is6s
Taxed for easy breathing. the merry u
runner picks out IL particularly -
fianga of prickly pear and. hOverit erm:
above the scaly coil. drops 1t. ssIiy:
and even the tough and supple hsso.eisi
RATHER does not withstand the oHXS1 81
!, The instant the drop arrives there r the
mendous lot of squirm. There Ve.y.
%lutiOns. evolu,ions. fnvOlntiOnS and disss
tons beyond the mind Of man, to imaYi8
Nothing approaches it but IL tangled skS
bent on vengeance. Blu the more the v!
tim snake revolves the more does he n
of trouble. for in whichever way he tur
land h.. turns in some twelve directions
onceD he presses against the thorns Of {
prickly pear. His rage increases, and. vi
his rage the number Of his wounds kee
straightens put for breath. Then the "
plying road runner drops down and peck
the reptiles eyes out. II Is desperatet
worse for the bird II a chance occurred.
IN road runner takes to fairly high Ian
generally: Some travellers say they lind N
feet. but usually IT. is in country ransin
from 1000 to 500 feet. and II lives con
fortably AS high up as 5000 feet. II nests I
trees Away: though not far above =
even ii the river Is dry. Usually the a
are from three to eight feet from -
ground. though one naturalist discoys
the bunch OF twisted twigs and Hrasy ES
with feathers resting at u height OF sixteeJ
How Tie Lives.
The road runner eats animal food for Oh
most part. Its favorite menu appears
he young birds. small rodents. snakes. Ian
snails. lizards. beetles and gT.sshopper,
but il eats the tender interiors and III
fruit of the prickly pear. II Is shy and IN
uuisitive both, bur its love Of humor oveI
comes its trepidat,Jn. 1t is sure tn como U
to amy camp thut pitches In its neiHhbol
hood and To study what Is going on wit
twinkling relish-awaitinS probably to b
chased away. when IL knows u will hav
some sport. As II sits watching the cam
folk 1t emits 1t variety of sounds. cooin
like a mourning dove, then cackles like
brooding hen calling her young and intel
sp.rseS among these noises a sharp claI
ping of It's bill. II keeps its tail awag. to-
juggling UP and down as though i lived !
u Harlem HAT and had to economixe space
usually IL succeeds. for horses are Away
at hand In the road runuers country and
chase Is easily provoked.
Then comes true sport. The bird, meaSuI
Ing from tip IN tip perhaps two feet. hog
down to the ground and runs ahead with
magic stride. ito wings close to Its bod
its head down ard a little sideways 50 this
one eye has Il good view Of whati Is going 0
behind. The horse hardly knows what he
after. for the object OF the chase IL 10
small for him to notice 100 yards away Ia
close rs he will ever set). He PUSHES o
with his rider. and the hounds, II theI
be any. who see the bird plainly enOug
but are equally helpless to 0vertake I
After a mile or two or three the merr
jester lets out its wings and sails to safet
or lodges and disappears no one know
where. or. II IL has been foOlhardy and KEEL
, up the game too long IL sits still breatbtr
and let's itself be captured. -
Oddly enough. after all the fuss its1
made Il is not wild and fTetful In captt0
but becomes tame soon and u capital no
pet.
IL has considerable discretion. too. j.
garding eggs. When food IL seanty its nest
contain rarely more thnn two or thrs
eggs. but in the warm seasons OF June an
July let's AZ many IA nine be waiting I
hatch. IL brings it's young up with delicat
care. teaching IL TO play tag almost a
soon as IL is out Of the nest. Its du
brownish olive color with white undersid
makes il rather ilc~onspicuous In the sag
brush country. and apart from its vote
only its wonderful swiitnsss. which make
!, look like a bunch Of dust on a recor
tour Of the world. attracts attention TO thi
GA rui4-GyntI. streak