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

than direct a CLASSY stare at the pro-
ceeding.
| AS the bag was being fastened, some
thing occurred which might shake the
nerves of even those long familiar with
snakes. The box beside us rocked sud
denly back and forth, a head which
glittered and scintillated with prisma-
tic colors shot past us. and with a
sound like the sudden escaping OF
steam the second big python disclosed
his whereabouts, but missed his aim. l
am not ashamed to acknowledge that
| cold shivers went UP and down my
back. From the expression on Snyder's
| face I believed he had similar sensa-
tons. But he threw the blanket at
the python, and it skunk back, as If
quelled.
After the bagging of cobra No. 1 we
felt somewhat cheated and relieved.
Thoughts of what might have hap
pened if things had gone wrong flashed
across my mind. The king cobra bites
to kill. 1t does not merely stab with
its poison fangs and instantly draw
back for another blow, like The rattle
snake or moccasin. Should the king
cobra's aim prove true, Its fangs are
ground savagely into the flesh, and re-
tain their hold for substantial part
of a minute All this time the venom
Gus secretion is flowing Drop by drop
IT is taken into the circulation. A frac-
ton of a drop will kill man, and this
creature can eject about ten drops
from either fang.
AS we manoeuvred to get the second
cobra at disadvantage, the big python
again numbered on our flank and be-
came so energetic that it again required
attention This time the blanket was
thrown over it, reducing it's demonstra-
tons to a steady blowing, the huge
body rising and falling as the air was
inhaled with a dull roar and exhaled
with a sound like that Of distressed
safety valve, Meanwhile cobra No, 2
showed plainly that it didn't intend to
be nooSed.
Now. much to our relief, we d1scov-
cred the third cobra-in which, al
though we did not desire it for the Zoo,
we were compelled to take an Interest
II was peeping round the corner OF a
big crate, about eight feet from us,
and it's forked tongue danced and qu1v-
cred at every movement that we made
No. was getting impatient and slid
a few feet. Without warning
If aimed a savage blow at Snyder, who
executed a backward broad jump of
energy The momentum OF
tha snakes blow brought the body for
ward. and as it reared once more we
found ourselves face to face with a
king cobra at vlose quarters. More
,ve, if was between us and the door.
And the third cobra was becoming i'm
patient.
with a jump, I landed on the case
beside the big python, which snorted
oudlv at such liberty. Snyder, who
vas nearer cobra No 2, backed off to-
ward the window, holding gunny-
sack in front of him. There he was
brought to a halt and could go farther.
Now T must act or never. A mlscalcu-
alton must have consequences TOO ols-
,greea BILE to contemplate,
Reaching the moose over the top of
he case, I got it almost over the head
# the nearest cobra, when it drew
,ack like flash and caught the end
e +re stick. On this it chewed until
he yellow poison flowed freely, and
shattered the floor. A des-
,erate plan suggested itself. This was
q release the snakes stick, and If the
entile continued to hold the same seize
he banket that covered the big python
nd throw it over the cobra, which
on1d then be captured by hand.