Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1877-05-16
A Rat COnquers a RattIesnake.

No one who has had experience with
rats-and who hasn't ?-need be told
that, vermin as they are, they are not
lacking in courage when cornered. But
the most ardent believer i'll a rats
fighting abilities would hardly think of
pitting even the blacklist ard bravest
of the Norway persuasion against
healthy, poison-puffed rattlesnake.
True, the serpent is slow-coach at
best, and, SO long as an opponent
keeps out of striking distance, moth
ing is to be feared, But, once he fas-
tens fang on any living creature eX-
cept it be a pig or a mangoose, that
creatures days are popularity supposed
to be numbered. AS for rats and
mice, they are food for even the mild
est of snakes, in the ordinary course
of Nature, and even so innocent con-
strictor as the black snake makes no
furry III lunching on full-grown SPUR
rels. There are exceptions to most
rules, however, and within a small,
wire-cloth. covered packing-boX Ill the
store of a prominent Boston manufac-
turing firm is now being eXemplihed
one of the most curious of these eXcep-
tiOns. 4 short time since one of the
members of the firm spent few weeks
hunting in Florida, and on his return
he brought with him monster rattle
snake, the gift of friend. His snake
ship measured about five feet in length,
and has body the size of mans arm,
the white, yellow and brown of his
cuticle blending rather beautifully III
patches OF various forms. The heavy
triangular head, characteristic of ven
emous reptiles, has a sinister express
sion, and, in moments of excitement,
the five rattles on his tail keep up an
unpleasantly suggestive whirling,
while forked tongue of inky black
ness and surprising length darts angrily
from his turtle-like mouth. He is no
sleepy. half-Starved fellow, as may be
readily imagined, but wide awake and
ready for an encounter of any kind.
1t was into the cage occupied by this
snake that three days since a rather
small-sized wharf-rat was introduced,
in the expectation that the rodent
would form meal for the stranger
The ophidian monster seemed to think
SO, too, for he darted on the unwilling
visitor and caught him by the neck
The rat, who had hitherto been run
ming around the cage trying to get out,
gave sharp squeal as he felt the ser
pent's fangs, and, twisting himself
about, buried his teeth in the scalv
jaw OF the aggreSSOr The snake
Writhed, and twisted and ratified sharp
notes of alarm as the rat kept his sharp
incisors at work, and before the spec
tators could fairly comprehend what
had happened, the little quadruped had
shaken himself loose, and was hopping
in alright at the further end of the
cage for a means Of exit. To the sur
prise of all he showed no effects of
poison, and when the snake again made
a grab AT him, he met his creeping foe
half way and shipped off a piece of
his long forked tongue. This seemed
to be rather more than the Floridian
had bargained for, and he dragged him.
self into corner, cast down and de-
teated. Since that time the rat has
tlourished III his strange quarters. He
capers over the body of his whilom
enemy, and avoids the punch of
stick by creeping under the head of the
snake. The rat seems perfectly iAdif-
ferent as regards the reptile, and when
the latter reused to high degree of
anger 10y outsiders, makes a strike at
him, he hardly takes the trouble to
dodge, and only bites back when the
rattler is unusually offensive. 1t is a
singular condition of things. and the
rats immunity from death cannot very
easily be accounted for. Boston Post.