The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-06-20
A SNAKE. STORY.

dangerous, never import them" cam
the reply from numerous dealers. s.
the Geological park began to despai
of procuring the creatures.
The Ophiophagus elaps, as the reptile
is technically called, holds undispute(
sway among the beasts of the jungle
| With the exception of the mongoose
a plucky little animal which delights
in killing deadly snakes, the wild
beasts fly in terror from the king CO.
bra, as it glides through swamp ano
thicket in search of other snakes, for il
inclines toward cannibalism. Most
snakes no matter how venomous, are
shy, but this terrible reptile, which
calmly kills and eats the dreaded cobra
di capello, is very aggressive.
1t was after long waiting for the
king that the Zoo received tidings that
three specimens We're in New York.
Two of them are now in the reptile
house, and the Incidents of their in
stallation will linger long in the mem
cries of those who have charge Of that
building.
With Snyder the head keeper of the
hi-N
dealers establishment to bag the rep
tiles end bring them to the park-they
were to formidable to be trusted to
any express company. If one of them
should break loose in transit, dire
things might happen.
To take the cobras from their crate
place them in sacks and finally in a
telescope bag especially constructed
for the purpose we brought a sim
pie appara tus-a "snake-stic with
out which the handling of poisonous
snakes is more risky than Juggling
with nitro-glycerine
To make a snake-stick is easy. Take
a stout pole, a long, narrow strip of
chamois and two staples; fasten the
chamois strip tightly to the end of the
pole by one of the staples on one side,
then bring the end over to the other
side, where it runs through a staple
but partially driven into the pole.
The operator holds the pole in one
hand, and the end of the chamois strip
in the other. When he starts to capture
snake, he lets out the chamois strip
until it forms loop at the end Of
the pole. This loop is slipped over the
snakes head and pulled tight.
Beside the snake-stick, the big tel
escope bag and two gunny-sacks, we
carried two walls of antitoxic serum
and hypodermci 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 man.
aged to get out of their cage, What's
more, a couple 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
going into the room with those de-
mons?"
Two of those snakes belong to us"
| replied, and we won't go back with
out them"
"All right, all right! Here's the
key" responded the clerk. II guess I'll |
send for the ambulance while you're on |
The picnic stairs"
With these sarcastic remarks in our
ears we started for the snake room.
Two of the dealers men accompanied |
is to the door. One of them turned |
The key in the lock and departed. The
other came into the room, taking his
post by the door, in order that escape
night be easy
The room was about twenty feet long
ind fifteen wide. A number of large
glass fronted snake boxes lay here and
here, but except a couple of boas piled
luietly in the corner of one of the boxes
10 snakes were visible. This was per-
llexing enough, and the fact that the
wo pythons, each about fifteen feet
ong, were somewhere at liberty, was
specially discomposing, for pythons
re enthusiastic in biting and well fit
ed with teeth about half an inch long.
| carried the snake stick. Synder
lad opened the big telescope bag and
pread the gunny-sacks upon the floor.
lie had picked up blanket in one
and and carried a heavy Stat in the
Their. In a moment we saw a python
oiled in q. corner, seemingly sleepy
nd harmless.
Look QUIT" shouted Snyder and his
came just in time A pale s
reen body had quickly risen from be-
ind one of the boxes and stood grace
lilly in the pose of the cobra. With
s "hood' spread widely its mouth G
artialy OPEN and it's little yellow eyes t
wickedly, the reptile looked "
Majestic. I
king cobra's mighty good name b
IL you my snaky friend!" muttered a
nyder, as he glared at the reptile. G
Then true to its hostile reputation,
lie snake rose higher with the whist f
ng hiss peculiar to the Elapdae, and II
.arted to glide from behind the box. e
The situation was almost too inter a
ting. t
/ had swung round at Snyder's W
arning and faced the snake, which fl
I'D risen to my left. At the same k
me / made ready the snake moose, but O
9fore it could be used the king stood A
D higher, making the length of its p
ach almost as long as the snake
ick. To use this, under these con- b
lions, would be more than dangerous, lC
+ these large colubrine snakes strike W
lily half their length; and as this par W
eular reptile was fully thirteen feet 8;
ne. it could lunge nearly seven feet, b
dangerous thrust to dodge or parry N
rrzI-- i