The Arizona sentinel. [volume] (Arizona City [Yuma], Yuma County, A.T. [Ariz.]) 1872-1911, 1888-06-23
A Chapter on Snakes.

There are many kinds of snakes
there's the garter snake, the side
winder, the snake in the grass, the
snake in the boot, the snake that rat
ties and the snake that don't rattle.
| The garter snake is streaked and
don't amount to much, being nearly all
tail, which tapers off to small point,
just like the arguments in favor of
demonetiZing silver.
The side winder is poison, and hits
you sort of side clip, but he never
goes more than his length to do it,
and after hitting you he goes right
along about his business, and never
tries to influence any other side-winder
to take shot at you.
The snake in the grass always aims
to hit you when you amt looking for
him. Sometimes you see him, and
sometimes you don't see him; but he's
never going to modest you when he
thinks you are looking out for him.
The snake in the boot is poison, too.
(you can bet your boots) and not only
busts the boot, but he's frequently.
been known to bust whole communi.
ties. If you are going to have any.
thing in the world to do with this yer.
! min, my advice is to set your boot
square onto him, instead of getting on
the outside of him.
The snake that rattles has very
large head and an awfully small neck,
and tail that he drags after him,
upon the end Of which his rattles are
located. The owl and the prairie dog
are his friends, and he has never vet
been known to go back on them. He
never goes out of his way to hit his
enemies, but if they cross his path
they should look out; still, he always
shakes his tail before he strikes, and
tells fellow to step high for he's 60
ing to hit him squarely if he can, in
which case it is always advisable to
hump, for if you don't the chances are
you'll gather.
Ehe snake that don't rattle and the
snake that does ara exactly alike, be-
cause they arc so entirely different.
For instance, the snake that don't rat
tie has an awful small head and ire
mendous large neck, some times worse
no neck at all. Seemingly his head
has been stirred up out of dough and
just left on his shoulders to cure. I'll
he has tail he keeps it wound up SO
nobody sees it, and never shakes it till
after he hits you.
When an enemy getsaeross his path
he never tries to hit him, but gets in
to the dirt so deep that you can't for
life Of you tell what sert of reptil.
he is, but the friend who has travelled |
all day through the sand, in the burn
ing sun to catch horned toads for him |
he'll go miles out of his way to strike. |
He never varies his language except |
to purr loudest when he's getting ready |
to strike deepest.
People who are once bitten by the
snake that rattles, sometimes die, and |
sometimes recover; but if you are once
bit by tie snake that don't rattle, you
never quite die of the bite, neither do
you ever entirely recover from it
should you live a thousand years, the
wound being at,ooys in the back, it is
terrible awkward attending to it.
Your friends may try to patch it up
for you, and to outward appearance
the wound may heal, but being deep
it will always be mere or less tender.
There's no snake in the wide world
so contemptibly mean and low, no
snake so much to be dreaded, in fact
every other snake is an EEL compared
with this dirty, Shiny snake that don't
rattle.
My friend, look out for him! he's
coming toward you!