The Irish standard., 1890-04-05


asr.nllal--plts already ana Ills tail In u over
my instep vet. Is think he's mile
4 long and weighs q thousand pounds to
the inch. The fires all right, ism + II?
Nowc como here and get the blankets
sway from me. The cussed reptile Is
lying. on top of me along my left leg!
and side. Begin on the right side, and
work easy
sJellison,s blankets were tucked
tightly under him, and Il was Q ticklish5
proceeding to pull their edge from be-
meath him without moving his body,
with the chance that at any moment
might encounter the head Of his un-
welcome visitor. Jellison sWore from
time TO time with suppressed emotion
as I Jared him ever so little and kept
saying: Work easy!' Finally I got the
blankets clear on one side, and gently
lifted them away from his body. He
had turned in with his shirt, trousers
and stockings on, and by the freight I
saw protruding from the left trousers
leg six inches Of the tail Of snake
tipped with a big rattle. The reptile
which had sought his present quarters
for warmth evidently did not like the
sensation of the cold air on the ex-
posed extremity, for there was immedi-
ately an ugly wriggling movement under
Jellison's clothes, and the snakes tail
disappeared upward clear to the rattle.
''With all his nerve and GOODNESS, the
suspense was telling on Jellison. His
face showed white in the freight and
the cold sweat stood in big drops on his
forehead. The snakes head is up to
my shirt collar now he gasped. Take
your hunting knife and rip my clothes
open on the right side. Els cold body
is taking all the strength out Of me.
Work quick and don't mind the risk of
cutting me-
.'My hunting knife was as sharp as a
razor, but I strapped it little on my
boot to give it an extra fine edge, and,
working so as not to disturb the snake,
I began at Jellison's right shoulder and
cut clean through his clothes from the
shirt collar to the bottom of the left
trousers leg. Then stepping round to
the other side and holding the garments
SO as they would serve as shield, / laid
them over on the left SO as to leave
Jellison's body exposed. A huge rattle
snake lay the whole length of the mans
body, its tail resting on his instep, and
its big triangular head reposing in the
hollow Of his throat. The reptile, on
being Uncovered, curved his neck q
little by drawing up his body SO as to
look behind and see the cause of its be-
ing disturbed, then threw itself half in
a coil, assuming the form of the letter
s, with it's head turned backward to-
ward me. 1t then lay wholly on the
body of Jellison. I remained perfectly
still, except to take position so that
should not be between the snake and
the fire, and there waited.
''The reptile kept his position for
awhile, and Jellison was beginning to
feel the chill Of the frosty air, SC that
his body shock in spite of himself. But
the cold was telling on the snake like
wise, and the warmth of the fire ap-
pealed to its feelings. AsI kept quiet it
ceased to regard me, and began to move
slowly toward the blaze, and presently
slid entirely off the body of the man
fire.
SPY the time the snake was length
away I had caught Jellison by the
shoulders and pulled him up standing.
I threw a pair of blankets over his
shoulders, for he was shaking as with q
fit of the ague.
'ssNow, old man. I said, you're all
right. Hold still till kill the snake
sssH-h-hold onv said Jellisou, his
teeth clicking as he shivered with cold
and the reaction from his nervous ten
sion. 'N-n-no m-m-man k-kills that
snake but m-m-meP
cup to this point no snake had ever
been treated with greater consideration,
and we had deferred to it's prejudices at
every stage OF the proceedings. ISe
repti1e--a mountain monster over five
feet long-was lying in coil near the
fire, basking comfortably in the glow,
but keeping its eye on US at every turn.
Jellison picked up revolver, and APP
preaching to within few feet Of the
snake, fired six shots into the coil as if
it did him good to do SO. BY the time
he had emptied the pistol the snake was
dead, and pretty thoroughly cut to
pieces. The rest Of the boys had slept
through all that had been gong on, but
at the sound of the first shot they came
tumbling up in a hurry, with their guns
in hand, ready for Indians The bust
ness was over, however, and there was
nothing for them to do.
s'Jellison spent the next day in camp,
with a needle and thread trying to get
his clothes sewed together. He said for
weeks that he could feel that snake on
his body whenever he laid down, and he
dreamed OF it nights. He was with us
for several months after, and to the
last asserted that he had never got
warm all over, but had always a cold
streak on his body where the snake had
lain y" Clarence Pullen, in N. Y.
ledger.
What Three Hours Brought.