I have killed thousands of them, big and little, long and short, from ten feet in length to six inches, and all colors, red, black, blue, green, copper, spotted, dangerous and harmless. They were so abundant in the timber and prairie country in the early days that it was necessary to carry a club about the size of a common walking-stick, three or four feet long, as protection. All persons carried something in their bands to kill snakes during the warm weather. Many kinds were very poisonous. The poison of the rattlesnake produces a numb feeling, which runs all through the body, and the lungs and heart cease to move as soon as the blood is conveyed to the heart and the poison gets into the large blood-vessels.
Rattlesnakes are stubborn antagonists.
I have formed a ring of hay about a foot high, set it on fire, and when in full blaze all over, at the very hottest time, have thrown the rattlesnake in that ring of fire. He would fight and squirm until he was as stiff as a walking-stick, and only ceased when his body was cooked. Thus you see he is grit to the very last. As I was traveling through some timberland with my friend Jim Jessee, we saw in front of us a very large rattlesnake, six feet in length. I proposed to Jim to have some fun out of the gentleman.