The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-09-28
AFLORIDA SNAKE STORY.
Two Girls Besieged by Hattlers Witness
"a Hot Battle.

Hot Battle.
That big rattlers still exist here the eX-
periences Of Misses Fay and May Barnes,
living some five miles from here, concur
sively proves. The girls went out berrying
last week and went down into the Pony
Creek hammock. a wild and dismal stretch
of dark woods and heavy underbrush. Late
in the afternoon, while getting ready 10 re-
turn home, May stepped on rotten log,
which broke and let her down into deep
hole which it concealed. AS she fell she
heard a dismal and curious rustling rafting
noise, but the fall so scared her that she
did not think what it might mean. She
screamed out loudly, and Fay, who was a
short way behind, came running up. May
was il the hole, only her head being Visi-
BILE.
"Hurry up, and help me OUT" She
screamed as her sister came up, there :
snakes in here I'm sure and the poor girl
almost tainted from the intensity OF her
fright.
Fay set to work like a brave frontier girl,
as she was, and tried 10 pull May out; but
it seemed an impossible task. as she had
sunk into the hole so deep. and the rottOn
wood had almost wedged her in. Selling
Nav by the should rs she pulled Justify, but
TO no avail. Then, after moments thought,
she took of the shawl that she wore. and,
twisting one end around Mays shoulders.
fastened the other end 10 a biz limb near by.
This made it so the imprisoned girl could
aid herself some. Nerying themselves, and
with pull altogether" they strained
and with delight both saw they were sue
cessful.
MAY came up out of the hole and sank
fainting on the ground. As Fay turned 70
help her she was hOrihed 10 see the heads
of several vicious and angry-lOOking rat
tiers emerge from the hole and their loud
rattles were echoed from several points
around them in the forest. Hastily catch
ing uD her sister, with a superhuman
strength that she was surprised at after
ward, Fay carried her fainting and help
less sister of out of the threat
ened danger. Soon, under her ener-
getic treatment. May opened her eyes with
a shudder, but as she heard the loud Kisses
of the serpents that had escaped out OF the
hole and saw their horrible aspect. she
screamed out loud in her fright. Fay
proved the heroine Of the occasion, and, get
ting her sister on her feet, she managed 10
get her up on a tall pine stump that stood
some five or six feet above the ground, as
she saw that it was impossible TO carry
MAY of in her present unneryed condition.
As the girls scrambled up on the stump
out present danger the angry ratings OF
the snakes became very startling aud their
vicious kissing made the girls shudder in
spite Of their present safe quarters. The
snakes became more and more angry rs
their number increased, and they began
surrounding the stump on which the two
girls now covered praying for help and
ever and anon shouting for aid. The sound
of their voices plainly angercd the rattlers,
4
the stump They would crawl up as near
as possible, and then coil up and strike at
the imprisoned girls, but always falling
back with hisses Of rage and venom.
one of the largest managed to hit the top
part Of the stump and his fangs held
him there a moment, but May. with a
quick movement, arose on ner feet and
stamped on his head, completely crush
ing il. His squirmng body fell back
among the others, and the long body
thrashed around in their midst till aroused
to the utmost fury by this disturb
ance which they did not seem TO under
stand. the others fell on the dying reptile
and bit him time and again. one of the
fiercest made "mislick' and hit another,
and this one Ietorted with a vicious bite
that stirred up up a war at once. and then
the fight became general. The vicious and
ugly looking rattlers struggled around that
stump in one mad fight, hitting one another
kissing with impotent rage and thrashing
about madly in their dying struggles. The
girls looked on with big frightened eyes,
deyOutly hoping that their deliyerance was
working itself out. The sickening stencil
from the poisoned fangs of the serpents be-
gan to affect the girls, and both soon fell for
ward in faint, the broad top Of the pine
stump fortunately holding them fast.
How long the fight lasted they knew not.
as their first recollection Of recovery was 10
hear the guns and shouts Of their friends.
Their eager replies soon brought their res
cuers to them and frightiul scene met
their eyes. Scattered about the stump were
fifteen or more big rattlers dead or dying,
mutilated and torn up in their mad fight to-
gether. Only three were found alive and
these were around the stump, cOiled up and
eyeing the girls forms on it. They were
soon dispatched and the poor girls brought
down from their fearful situation. Their
exposure and fright proved quite telling,
and both have been i'll ever since.
Old hunters think that May fell into
rattler's home. and that she was not bitten
while in the hole because it was dark in
there, her body Killing up the opening SO
that the snakes were too bewildered TO
strike.-GlObe-D Democrat.