The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-05-11
A Squirrel Fights and Kills a Rattle
snake.
From the Cincinnati Enquirer
"And round about me, fold on fold,
A writhing serpent hung
An eye ofjet, skin of gold,
A garnet tor a tongue"

A writhing serpent hung
An eye of jet, skin of gold,
garnet tor tongue"
-"LAMrA," T. B. Aldrich.
The recent ignominious defeat Of
ferocious young lioness by an humble
and ugly donkey in our Geological Gar
den has curious parallel in the result
Of deadly combat Wednesday evening
between large diamond rattlesnake and
little squirrel, during the snake exhi-
bition over the Rhine, at 522 Vine street.
The snake was one of the largest Of it's
species, six and half feet in length, and
having been without food for months,
was inclined to act on the offensive; the
squirrel was inexperienced in serpent
warfare, but wonderfully plucky. On
the whole we are inclined to consider the
poor little squirrel as having distinguished
himself even more than
the brave dondev whose prowess
has been ably me,noria]izcd in marble by
Cincinnati sculptor. The donkey bare
ly saved his life by desperate struggle,
without inAicting much hurt upon his ter
rible antagonist; the squirrel was left
alone to contend with the most dreaded
and deadly enemy of human or animal
life, and actually slew his antagonist.
When the squirrel had been placed in
the cage, the slimy-shining monster i'm
mediately sprang his rattle and coiled
to strike, while the squirrel, having taken
a good look all around the cage, and found
escape to be impossible, prepared him.
self for the worst, watching his glittering-
eyed enemy with fierce resolution. Tie
spectacle became highly interesting to
the spectators, for the deadly ophidian
was contending with far higher form Of
life, finer organism, more intelligent
being than the helpless creatures which
ordinarily supplied him with food.
Snake and squirrel alike poised
themselves for the spring,
the tail of the former vibrating so rapid.
ly as to become almost invisible, and
emitting sound like the buzz of brazen
clock work; the tail of the latter trena.
bled slightly, very slightly with the ten
sion of the squirrels muscles. Suddenly
a sickly CLEAN of livid white shot across
the cage, and struck the squirrel below
the neck, once, twice, with the rapidity
Of an electric fash. The spectators ceas.
ed to laugh and whisper; the sight was
too horrible. But the brave little squir'
rel did not shrink or drop. He sprane
, forward to meet his terrible foe, and
caught the writing tail between his keer
teeth. There was cracking sound like
the crushing Of chicken bones, h;deous
ly shrill hiss, an agonize ed wriggle through
, the long, speckled body, and the next in
slant the squirrel was wrapped il
} the coils of the serpent, while tn,
! fragments of the bony rattles fell on tn,
a floor of the cage. crushed into tiny slivers
i. But the squirrel still showed no fear
: although the many-colored folds tighten
= ed about him, and the awful triangular
e head approached with wide-open jaws an,
:, needle.sharp fangs, and eyes in whic]
d the yellow iris-circle seemed transforme,
i to flame. There was another sick}y flas]
a of white, as the livid serpent belly turn
is ed upward with the effort Of the las
venomous stroke. The fangs neve
reached the squirrel. He caught tn
e speckled neck between his keen teeth, a
Il inch below the deadly head with its horr
bic eyes; and the horrible eyes starte
s out under the pressure. There was ar
Re other cracking sound, another series {
CHASTITY commissions, and the horribl