Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1891-08-29
al Rntilnannkn Rtnrv.

Wiley, OF Brooklyn. had recently in
Steuben county" said ex-Sheriif War
rem Kimble Ridgway. OF Pike county.
1T didn't scare me, though, but IT came
near soaring another fellow into ever
lasting fits.
"A big party OF us were camped on
the hcadwaters OF Bright Brook, back
in Pike county, so far that the nearest
house was seventeen miles away, and
that was bark peeler's cabin. We
had tent that would hold dozen men,
and large-sized commissary depart
ment. We had been in camp couple
OF days when it suddenly occurred to
me that we had gone back in that Wild
erness TO fish for trout and | rugged up
my tackle and started down the brook.
And what fishing that was! Every few
feet trout, and the smallest one would
be thought big one in those DAYS OF
trouting! You can't find anything like
1t in that country now. actually waded
down the stream sometimes for 100
yards without dropping fly on the
water for there were many favorite
pools ] wanted to try, and was filling
my creel too fast. With all these long
intervals OF resting the stream, had
not fished mile before / had filled com.
fortably my l5-pound basket, and was
about leaving the stream TO walk back.
to camp when l saw a big rattlesnake
come deliberately out from the bushes,
crawl TO the edge OF the stream. pause
there for moment, and then glide into
the creek and pull for the other side.
'''Now whenever you see rattle
snake swim brook, make up your mind
that the snake has good reason for it.
was wondering what could have forced
this rattler to take the water when the
reason was made plain to me. The rat
tlesnake hadn't got to the middle OF the
creek yet, when whiZ! came q tremen-
dous big blacksnake out OF the bushes
on the rattle's trail.
"'Aha" said I, you've saved your
bacon by the skin Of your teeth that
time. Mr.. Rather
For you must know that the rattle.
snakes deadliestE enemy and DESTROYER
is blacksnake, and blacksnakes won't
go in the water-that is. the big high.
land blacksnake OF Northern Peunsyl-
vania the kind am speaking Of, won't
and suppose this RATHER knew it.
The blacksnake paused second on the
edge of the creek, and then wizzed away
down the stream, perhaps with some
vague idea that he might get across
somewhere and catch the rattler yet.
"Whatever might have been in the
blacksnake's mind, 1t was in my mind not
to let that rattlesnake get away from
me. hurried across the brook and got
at the other side before the RATHER had
reached it. The snake saw me and
turned its head downstream.
II hastily grabbed up stone and
pitched 1t at the reptile. 1t struck the
snake few inches back OF the head and
carried it to the bottom and held il
there, just as Mr.. Wiley's stone pinned
his snake the other day. The rest OF
the body and the rattle-tipped tail
slashedsaround inthe water like apin-
wheel, and jumped in, grabbed the
tail and gave yank at 1t that one would
supposed would pull the snake in two.
But it didn't
"The head and neck came from under
the stone intact. The force of the jerk
brought the snake with considerable
force up against my chest. and Mr..
RattIer's head striking me handy for
the purpose he set his front teeth square
in the lapel OF my coat, so close to my
chin that his breath might have blown
through my whiskers, II l had any.
You may we'll imagine that 1 didn't
permit the snake to rest his head
against my bosom, but tore him loose
with another jerk, and the next second
had my heel on his head and his days
were numbered. He was a beauty. He
had just shed his old skin, and his
brown and gold markings shown as
bright as II they had been painted, and
from rattles to nose he glistened like
polished steel.
II don't know what put it into my
head, but l opened my creel, shook
down my trout so that there was con-
siderable space between them and the
liz, and covered them with ferns. Then
/ coiled the rationale on the ferns as
naturally as could, shut down the lid
OF the basket and started back for camp.
During my absence visitors had come
to camp. They were couple OF fisher
men from up In Wayne county, who had
run across us, on a trip OF their own.
When entered the camp one OF the
visitors started forward TO meet me.
"'What luck?' said he.
"'L0ok and see, said |, turning nv
basket, still strapped to me, toward him.
He undid the fastening of the lid
and jerked it open. He was an old woods
man, and probably had seen and killed
scores of rattlesnakes, but the unex-
pected sight Of that one, coiled there
among the ferns as II ready to strike,
actually paralyzed him with terror.
HE stood for moment glaring Wild
~ at the coiled snake, and although in
that moment he knew that the reptile
was dead, he turned pale and sick. and
tottered to the tent, where he lay Ill all
night. II ever l repented of anything
in my life 1t was Of that thoughtless
bit OF practical joking. 1 don't believe
the man played 1t on ever really got
over the effects OF that momeutary ter