I Tried That Little Game On, With A
Pickle-Jar And A Stick, But I Couldn't Get Him In, And He Doubled Up And
Very Nearly Bit Me; His Tail Just Grazed My Hand As It Was."
I thanked my informant, and assured him from the bottom of my heart, that
whenever I 'did' try to coax a death-adder into a bottle, I would benefit
by his experience and use the greatest caution.
The eye of this snake is remarkable for its vivid yellow, crossed by a
black longitudinal pupil. The colour of the body is a mixture of dull
hues, and the abdomen pinkish; the head broad, thick, flattened, and its
'tout ensemble' hideously repulsive. But I am digressing, and leaving poor
Cato still uncared for.
The snake, which was a very large one, had been laid hold of by the boy in
the imperfect light, and had instantly bitten him in the wrist, on which
the punctures of the fangs were plainly visible. A handkerchief was at
once tied round the wounded limb, with a small pebble so placed as to
compress the brachial artery inside the forearm, and with the iron ramrod
from a carbine as a lever, we screwed this rough tourniquet up until the
circulation was in great measure cut off. Luckily Dunmore had a
pocket-knife with him, for the sheath-knives we carried were but rude
instruments for surgery, and with the small blade he slashed the bitten
part freely, while Lizzie, applying her lips to the wound, did her best to
draw out the subtle venom.
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