The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-09-13

affinity between it and the .Staked
Plains rattlesnake has never been ex-
planned.
1.-The big rattlesnake has three i'm
placable enemies in three fierce-look-
ing but entirely non-venomous snakes
peculiar to that locality-the bull
snake, the king snake, and the Texan
black snake. 1t seems as if these SER
penis were continually on the hunt for
the rattlesnake. and the traveller
through that country is sure to be enter
tanned. almost every mile or so, by the
sight of combat between one of these
snakes and rather A serpent armed
with the deadly weapon that the rat
tlesnake yields would naturally be sup
posed to have the advantage in con-
test of this kind, but his nOn-venomous
foes are so much quicker in their move
ments than the RATHER that they are
able to avoid his fangs, and invariably
overcome him and squeeze the life out
of him before he can strike twice. /
saw one of these fights once in which
the rattlesnake either deliberately
committed suicide or stuck his fangs
into his own body in striking at the
bull snake that attacked him. The
bull snake was cOiled about the rat
tier, and the latter struck vicious
ly. His jaws closed upon his
own body few inches above
the tail. The bull snake instantly UNI
coiled himself and withdrew yard or
so from the rattlesnake, where he
watched the latter with his head raised
few inches from the ground. The
rattlesnake gradually Strengthened out.
and in few minutes was dead. The
bull snake then glided away. It is
during these attacks of the bull snake,
the king snake or the black snake on
the RATHER that the vicious little pilot
shows its fealty to his big companion.
He darts upon it's foes. and fights fierce
ly in aid of the rattlesnake. The
curious part of it is that the other
snakes pay no attention to the courage
GUS little pilot, but after dispatching
the RATHER flash away out of sight,
leaving the pilot to fret and fume on
the scene of the short but savage con-
flict, until he, too, convinced that his
friend, the rattlesnake, is past all
caring for, hurries away from the spot.
The offensive odor of the rattlesnake
and the pilot is most noticeable during
these battles.
Mcconnell, the Pennsylvania snake
charmer, says that he can not remain
long in the cage with his snakes be-
cause their breath makes him sick. I
have excellent reason for knowing that
to be shut up for any length of time
with live rattlesnakes will not only
make person sick. but I believe will
make him so sick that unless he can
escape from the place poisoned by the
breath, exhalation. Or whatever it may
be, of the snake, he will die.
Il used to fish and hunt great deal
in the very locality where Mcconnell
kves. and where he captured his rattle
snakes. One fall was deer hunting
in what is known as the Porter
Pond region, with a friend of
mine and Ed Quick, we'll
known local hunter and guide.
One night, for the novelty of the
thing to my friend, who had never
roughed it to that extent, we put up
in deserted cabin in wild spot along
Saw creek. It was a local landmark,
known as Burned Mill Cabin. The
night was cold, the time of year being
late November, and we built blazing
fire in the big fireplace in the cabin.
We Uttered the floor with hemlock
boughs and turned in for the night, the
blaze lighting up the whole interior.
Away in the night I woke up.
There was a peculiar feeling in my
head-a heavy, numb feeling. hard to
describe. | lay still for a moment,
and then became aware of sickening
! odor in the cabin. The blaze in the
fireplace had burned down to few
moldering embers, but the atmosphere
Of the room seemed sitting. 1 rose to
sitting posture, and was instantly
seized with dizziness and nausea. MY
friend lay next to me on the hemlock
boughs and reached over and shook
and called him, but could get no re-
spouse. Then 1 called Quick, who
was snoring away, next the fireplace,
and finally aroused him. He rose up
in his place. and had no sooner done
30 than he exclaimed:
g Rattlesnakes!'
HE sprang to his feet, and as he did
SO heard the unmistakable sounding
of rattlesnake's rattle in the direction
OF the hearth. Quick paid no atten-
ton to that, but dashed for the cabin
door and threw it open. Then he
shouted to me to wake up my friend
and get out into the air as soon as pos
sible.
"'It hain't that the snakes is goin'
to bite YOU he said, but their breath's
a-killin' of your
| IL couldn't rouse my friend, and
Quick carried him out of the cabin.
1t was all that I could do to drag
myself out. My friend was entirely
gone, and it was not until he had lain
in the cool air for some time, and Quick
had poured brandy down his throat,
that he began to revive. The fresh
air soon restored me, but my head
ached severely, and the nausea con-
tlnued for an hour or more. After we
were all in tolerable good shape,
OlllCx told fhof L. lot