Nevada County picayune., 1888-01-25


 oaks were abnIt four feet high. knew l had stout garments on that conld stand tlic pulling of the bushes. l had secured twenty or thirty Jumps of gum, all within my reach. and was making push tnrthrr on, when l paused ns thon2ll thunderhoIt had burst Gpph me. from the clear heavens ab"vc. Reader. did you ever heal that aia une If not. you may have heard the s!nill cry of our locusts, that tlY lron tree to tree during he warm days of summer. Well then Nou know something about the alarm note of the rattlesnake. aud this was what heard, and what arrested my steps.
 lH starting to spring back, my heel caught against some obstrnc. ton and in order to save myself was obliged to grasp fallen spruce, the on.y thing at hand stout enongh to support me, and ill doin" this ! made q slight spring to the left. Mcrciful power Ny foot came down on something that moved, and struggled and hissed and felt q shock a7 though ten thousand galNanic batteries had sent their currents through me.
 east my eyes down, and l saw a bright low formed of two fine threads of light. clearly defined amid the deep shade of the shrub. knew it was the monsters eyes, tiamIHg, making a curve of light as the ugly head swept to and fro But only for moment my foot was on its body, not more than a third distance from its tail, SD that fully two thirds of the body was free and it was il large snake.
 What did l do2 What could do? Within one second after l looked down, the reptile was ready to stlike, the head was thrown back, the upper jaw raised until it fairly lay over toward inc crest. and knew the blow was coming. l could only throw up my hands. start backwards and think of my wife and children at home. On, how my past life ilit- ted before my mental vision-waS my life of wild rovings all over the world to end here on the side of old OsSipptc mountain? The blow came quick and strong, striking me on the left thigh. and l gave a spring backwards; l looked down ward and saw that the venOmous reptile was clinging to my pants, thc hooked fangS preventing his letting 90 while l was in mGtion.- In an instant, however. the pre- heuSile tail, or the lower paIt of the body, caught among the bush cs and the fangs were torn away.
 Backwards to the sled road l staggered, faint and dizzy, know ing that had been struck and expecting every moment to feel the touch of the poison in my vi- talS. As reached the logging road Eddie was by my side. He noticed the fallen spruce and was making forit.
 But he paused and gazed at me, exclaiming: "Father, what ails you?"
 "Bittcnw l gaSpcd.
 "A rattlesnake. fther?"
 "les," said,
 "Where2'
 I laid my hand on my thigh, where l still felt the force of the blow.
 Let us look. We'll cut into it bind on piece of the fat of the dead snake then drive for home.- Quck, where is it?"
 My thigh was exposed, fair and ruddy, but not mark of the pois- oned fangs were to be seen.
 "Thcre's not bite here, father, nor sign of one.n
 Eddie'S happy smile of assurance gave me strength, and my thoughts cane to my aid. l looked where the threads of the corduroy had been started up into loops by the tearing away of the snakes fangs and saw that it was directly over the objectionable pocket. put my hand into the pocket and drew