Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1901-02-07
CAP7UR/NG A BOOMSLANG
BY q. r. O'REILEY.

at the posterior end of each outer dental
row, and that outside each upper jaw
there was a small gland beneath the
skin. What was this gland for, if not
to secrete venom? And why was the
tooth channelled, if not to convey ven
ON into the wound made by it. These
thoughts troubled me, and made my
heart beat fast with apprehension.
How was to catch him with safety?
Seize him with my naked hands. as I
was in the habit of seizing the sankes
that were decidedly harmless. Hardly
this. At any rate, could not dare to
grab him while he faced me, as he now
did, ready to spring and grab at me.
No; would try to make him move, to
follow him. and then suddenly snatch.
him by the neck. as he glided along
some branch.
Accordingly climbed nearer to him.
l got within four feet of him. l could
seize him now, but it would never do
to risk those channelled teeth. There
fore l got myself in position to poke
him with my stick, SO as to make him
move. l meant to try to grab him as
he started off. Little did dream how
he would surprise me.
1 poked him with the stick, but he
did not glide away-not he! He got
ready to fight me. His anger, or fear,
or whatever feeling possessed him,
transformed him in an instant He
became terrible to look at. drew back
three or four feet from him. l feared
him.
He was now no longer the graceful
thin-necked tree snake of speckled
green and gresuish yellow His head
was fiattened out, and his neck had
swelled to an enormous size in COM
parison with the thickness of his body.
1t was bloated up with the air with
which he had inflated himself. The
color of the bloated part was entirely
changed. 1t was now purple, the
skin being stretched so that the scales
were far separated and appeared like
little green spots scattered over it's
surface
Very clearly. he was ready to bite
me. But as knew that snakes. when
disturbed with stick. will bite rather
at the stick which touches them than
at the hand that holds it. l did not
hesitate a moment. but poked him
again.
AS did so. he made dash at the
stick, and then darted away through
the leaves. so suddenly that / could
not tell whittier he had gone. The
rapidity with which he disappeared
startled me. If he should always move
as quickly as that. l could have no
chance to catch him in the trees.
Nevertheless, determined to follow
him. The men running along on the
ground below and holding him in
view directed me.
He was now farther up the avenue,
lodged in the second tree from that
which he had left. The oaks grew
rtetty close together, so that their
branches more or less interiaced.
Thus he glided from one to the other,
and |. without descending would fol-
low him in a persistent chase. hop
ing, sooner or later. to catch him. 1t
was no easy work-this rapid, mon
key-liSe progress from tree to tree.
swinging and springing from branch
to braach; and still it was not alto
gether new to me, for | and my broth
ers had often gone thus quickly, pur.
suing each other for great distances
to and fro through the trees around
our boyh rod home. The worst of it
was that / could not see the snake.
had to so entirely by the direction
of those upon the ground beneath.
By and by | came in sight of him
again. He was lashed in one of the
topmost branches. When | approach
ed close to him he swelled out his
neck and faced me. as If to spring at
.ne. But | did not get so near to him
on this occasion. for was still eight
feet away. and was just getting ready
to poke him with the stick, when he
darted off afresh in the same direc-
ton.
Over and over again he repeated
this running and halting. Perhaps he
thought he could tire me out. II So
ne WIS HilstdkeU. 1 WIS TOO utteTs
mined to ge. him. | dropped the
stick. so that could go faster. On
went after him in mad rush. crash
ing through the branches. When he
would halt. | would sneak gently
through the leaves. SO as To get close
to him.
At last he reached the upper end
OF the avenue, and SO, painting ana
breathless. did |. He crossed TO the
trees on the western side of the road
way, and | did the same. Down the
western side he now came. but he
made far fewer and shorter halts than
before. | was coming on fast behind
him. From ono branch To another |
often had to jump. Sometimes, where
the limbs were far apart. "A sprlnglng
bough beneath me would serve 10 as
sist the leap by throwing me forward,
till | would alight with eiinging hands
on another farther ON. Once | swung
myself ON a yielding branch over a
a. A.