The morning call., 1890-09-15
ATTACKED BY RATTLERS.


The Friehtful Experience OF Two Girls
in Florida.
That big rattlers still exist here. says
Miami Fla.) special to the St. Louis Demo-
crat, the experiences of the Misses Fay and
May Barnes, living some five miles from here,
cOncIusively proves. The girls were out
berrying last week, and went down into the
Pony Creek Hammock, wild and dismal
stretch of dark woods and heavy under
brush. Late in the afternoon, while getting
ready to return home, May stepped on a
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
then was in the hole, only her head being
visible.
Hurry up, and help me outv' she
screamed, as her sister came up; there's
snakes in here, I'm sure" and the poor girl
almost tainted in the intensity of her fright.
Fay set to work like brave frontier girl,
as she was, and tried to pull May out; but
it seemed an impossible task, as she had
sunk into the hole so deep, and the rotten
wood had almost wedged her in. Selling
May by the shoulders she pulled Justify,
but to no avail. Then, after moments
thought, she took off the shawl that she
wore, and, twisting one end around Mays
shoulders. fastened the other end to big
limb near by. This made it so that the i'm
prsOned girl could aid herself some. Merry
ing themselves, and, with a pull all to-
gether,' they strained, and with delight
both saw they were successful.
May came up out of the hole and sank
fantiLg on the ground. As Fay turned to
help her she was Mortified to 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. Fay proved the
heroine of the occasion, and, getting her
sister on her feet, she managed to get her
up on a tall pine stump that stood some or
6 feet above the ground. DIS she saw that 1t
was impossible to carry May OIL in her pres
ent unnerved condition.
AS the girls scrambled up on the stump
out Of present danger the angry ratings of
the snakes became very startling, and their
vicious kissing made the girls shudder in
spite of their present safe quarters The
snakes became 's, more and more angry as
their number Incl eaSed, and they began sur
rounding the stump Oh which the girls now
covered, praying for help and ever aud
anon shouting Tor aid. Inc sound of their
voices plainly angered the rattlers, and they
soon presented sulld ring around 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 Kisses OF rage and venom.
One of The largest managed to hit the top
part of the stump and his fangs held him
there moment, but May with a quick
movement arose on her feet and stamped on
his head, completely crushing it, His
squirming body fell back among the others
and the long body thrashed around in their
midst till, aroused to the utmost fury by this
disturbance, which they did not seem to un-
derStand. the others fell on the diving rep
tile ana bit HIM time and again. One of
the fiercest made a ''misick" and bit an
other, and this one retorted with vicious
bite that stirred up war ut once, and then
the light became general. The vicious and
ugly looking rattlers struggled around that
stump in one mad fight hitting one another.
Kissing with inlp0tent rage and thrashipp
about madly in their dying struggles. The
girS looked on with big, frightened eyes.
devuutly hoping that their deliyerance was
working itself out. The sickening stencil
from the poisoned fangs Of the serpents be-
gan to effect the girls. and both soon fell
forward in a faint, the broad top of the pine
stump fortunately holding them fast
How long the light lasted they knew not.
as their first recollection of recovery was to
hear the guns and shouts of their friends.
Their eager replies soon brought their ras-
cuefs to them, and frightful scene met
their eyes. Scattered about-the stump were