The St. Mary banner., 1901-09-21
A Battle With Kin6-Cobras.
nv RAYMOND LEE DITMARs.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We wanted a pair of king-cobras for
ne reptile-house, but not specimen
~, to be purchased anywhere. "Too
d.naerous. never import them," came
the reply from numerous dealers, So
.the Geological Park began to despair
Of procuring the creatures.
The Ophiophagns elops, as the reptile
\ technically called, holds undisputed
sway among the beasts Of the jungle.
win the exception of the mongoos a
elucky little animal which delights in
Killing the deadly snakes, the wild beasts
tAv in terror from the king cobra, as it
.siides through swamp and thicket in
ie.rch of other snakes, for it inclines
toward cannibalism. Most snakes, no
matter how yenomous, are shy, but this
terrible reptile which calmly kills and
Eats the dreaded cobra -de-capello, is very
aggressive.
It was after long waiting for the king
that the Zoo received tidings that three
,recimens were in New York. Two Of
xhem are now in the reptile-house, and
HE Incidents of their installation will
linger long in the memories of those
Who have charge of that building.
With Snyder, the head keeper of the
reptile department, l started for the deal
rs establishment to bag the reptiles and
bring them to the park-they were too
formidable to be trusted to any express
eompany. If one of them should break
bose in transit, dire things might hap
pen.
To take the cobras from their crate.
place them in sacks, and finally in tele-
scope bag especially constructed for the
nrpose, we brought a simple apparatus
"A Snake stick" without which the
handling of poisonous snakes is more
risky than juggling with nitroglycerine.
To make a snake-stick is easy. Take
. stout pole, long, narrow strip of cha
mois and two staples; fasten the chamois
strip tightly to the end of the pole by
one of the staples on one side, where it
runs through staple but partially driv-
en into the pole.
The operator holds the pole in one
hand, and the end of the chamois strip
Il the other. When he starts to capture
I snake he lets out the chamois strip
until It forms a loop at the end of the
pole This loop is slipped over the
snakes head and pulled tight.
Besides the snake-stick the big tele-
!, scope bag and two gunny-sacks, we car
fied two vials of antitoxic serum and a
hypodermic syringe, both of which
would be needed in case the kingly fangs
should strike any of US.
At the dealers we were met by his
clerk, who looked worried. "I'm afraid
you won't be able to get the snakes to-
day." he said. "They have been pretty
quiet lately, but last night there was
trouble. Somehow the cobras managed
10 sr out of their cage. What's more, a
eoeple Of big pythons got out, too"
my friend" said one of US, "the en-
thusiasm of an animal man is not to be
daunted by such incidents. Here is a
written order for the snakes. Please
hand me the key of the snake-room."
"What?" cried the clerk. You're go
ing into the room with those demons?'
Two Of those snakes belong to us.
replied, "and we won't 60 back with
out them"
"All right, all right! Here's the key"
responded the clerk. II guess I'll send
iof the ambulance while you're on the
picnic upstairs"
With these sarcastic remarks in our
ears We started for the snake-room.
Two OF the dealers men accompanied US
% the door. One of them turned the
~ IN the lock and departed. The other
cane into the room, taking his post by
ne door, in order that escape might be
easy.
The room was about twenty feet long
ead fifteen wide. A number Of large,
eass-fronted snake-boxes lay here and
0efe but except a couple of boas piled
quietly in the corner of one of the boxes.
. snakes were visible. This was per-
texing enough; and the fact that the
NO pythons, each about fifteen feet long
we're somewhere at liberty, was especial
2 discomposing, for pythons are enthu-
sastic in biting and we'll fitted for it with
Nth about half an inch long.
u ! carried the snake-stick. Snyder had
9ened the big telescope-bag and spread
e gunny-sacks upon the floor. He had
tcksd of a blanket in one hand, and
orrisd = heavy slat in the other. IN
homent we saw a python coiled IN
Tuner, seemingly sleepy and harmless:
Look out shouted Snyder, and his
larning came just in time. A pale greer
eedy had quickly risen from behind one
Ea the boxes, and stood gracefully u u
tAe pose of the cobra. With its hood
&1goaA widely its mouth partially open