The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-09
FIVE RATTLRRs AND RAT.
They Hold Hypnotic seance, and 6
Bit of Cheese Broke the Smell
From the Ne,o York Sun

provided you have enough snakes and put a
rat in with them. Then you watch them.
They won't charm the rat No. They will
charm you. That is, If you are anything
ike am, and you call it being charmed to
stand gazing steadily at snakes and rat,
with no inclination or desire to take your
eyes OH and go away. l was under the
spell OF such fascination the other night,
and believe l would be there staring at
those snakes and that rat yet If something
nadnb happened TO break the spell.
ut was up In Punxsutawney, Pa. There
nave always been great many rattle
snakes about Punxsutawuey, and even the
name OF the place doesn't scare them away
was IN that town last week and a guest at
the Hotel Pantall intimated that he would
ike to see q live rattlesnAke. The landlord
OF That hotel is a very accommodating chap
and he at once sent a man out to get rat
tier, telling him to hurry up. The man
came back Ia few minutes He had five
rattlesnakes. all nice, big, bright, sassy
fellows. fresh from the freedom of the
adjacent hills. The guest who had said he
was anxious to see q rattlesnake turned out
to be a liar. He didn't want to ace a rattler
at all, for when the man came in with his
choice specimens the guest jumped out of
his chair i've feet and grabbed his grip and
left. But the landlord took the guests dis
courtesy all in good part aud put the five
snakes in the bay windows in front of the
house and shut them in.
III keep EN- there he said, so I'll
have 'em handy and won't have to waste
any time sending out for one for the next
guest who would like to see one.'
Il got through IN Punxsutawpey, ate nv
supper paid my bill and started to get the
first train for the next town, where / bad
an important engagement. As was going
out the landlord came along. He had a big
rat
"'Going to put him in with the snakes.
said the landlord. 'Itll only last few sec
onds, but you'll see some fun
u had plenty OF time, so l stopped to see
thefun. The.rat was dropped in with the
snakes. The snakes were lying at one end
OF the window in a listless sort Of way, but
the instant the rat dropped every snake was
up In arms Each one ooiled quicker than
fash. Every RATHER sounded a loud
alarm; five big aud ugly heads were raised
from the coils, and Ave black tongues
darted out and quivered with the excite
ment OF their owners. The rat crouched
down in one corner and seemed paralyzed
with terror. Ten glittering eyes glared at
1t, and nothing else was done for some time.
forgot all about my train and my enga O.
ment In the next town, and gazed at the
snakes and the rat spellbound. Presently
the rat moved, turned, and faced the snakes,
and then made dash at one, gave it a
sharp bite in the neck and jumped back lust
IN time and far enough TO avoid the reptiles
vicious and deadly strike. The offensive
tactics OF the rat enraged the
rattlers, and two Of them uncoiled and
made rush for him. The rat showed fight.
One OF the snakes showed its face within
three inches Of the rat, and ran it's tongue
out and ia at him. This made the rat mad,
and, watching his chance. he shot forward
and bit the snakes tongue off and spit it out
on the bottom OF the window. A tremor
ran through the snake as II the nipping off
OF his tongue hurt him from snout 20 rattles,
and he quickly retreated and huddled up in
one corner Of the window. The other snake
that had moved upon the rat then made a
pass for 1t. The rat sprang up, jumped
clear over the RATHER, turned, and with a
movement so quick that IL made me dizzy,
fastened its teeth in the snakes neck biting
IL clear through. When the rat released
the RATHER the reptile keeled over on the
floor, and although could see by his glar-
Ing eyes and a convulsive movement along
his entire length that he was alive, he didn't
get up, and took no interest In the subse-
Quent proceedings.
The SUCCESS OF the rats maneuvers
swellsd his head. and he began to tread
around In the window as if he owned it.
The three snakes that remained defiant had
scattered about in the window, and the rat
would make a rush toward one, manage to
elude Its strike. and then dash at another,
and tnen at the third, going from one to
another In succession, worrying the en-
ragged snakes until their rage was terrible to
see. stood there with my nose fattened
against the glass, entirely Obvious to ey-
erything around me but the snakes and the
rat. / have an indistinou impression that
heard my train come and 60, and after a
time another one, and some time later a
third, but l can't say positively. l know
that never took my eyes off Of the snakes
and the rat
''The rat had worried and drawn the fire
OF the three snakes, SO to speak, for | don't
know how long, when the rattlers made a
stragetic move of their own. They had
evidently seen that Singly they were no
match for the cunning rat, and after a good
deal of rafting to and fro all three of the
snakes massed themselves at one end OF the
window. They stood in a row, covering
that part Of the field absolutely. The rat
was too good general not to see that it
wouldn't do for him Co Rssail that phalanx
of angry serpents, for the chances were
that if one Of them missed him one OF the
Others would very likely hit him. So he
rested In corner for moment and pCn-
dered. A gas pipe ran Up that corner to
the side where the snakes were
grouped In defensive front The re-
suit Of the rats pondering was that he
scurrled up the piCe and ran along it until
he was directly over the snakes and six feet
above them. The rattlers were not long
headed enough to see what this move Of the
rat meant, and they didn't change their po-
sition. The rat eyed them for few sec
onds and then jumped right down upon
them, landing on them behind their brist.
ling heads. He nipped one through the
neck with his long teeth, and the other two
were panic stricken and glided to the other
end of the window. The snake the rat had
bitten through the neck lay down in par
alyzed condition, as the one had done early
in the agame.$
The rats ruse had worked so we'll that
the rat seemed gleeful He frisked around
In aggravating proximity TO the two re-
active rattlers, until the latter be-
came terrible In their fury, but couldn't
manage to get a blow in on the agile rodent.
By and by something was dropped In tue
window upon the snakes. didn't know
who dropped it in, but saw that it was a
piece Of cheese. 1t lay behind the two
snakes, and partially on one. The rat soon
smelt the cheese, and with a bound went
clear over the snakes and seized the savory |
morsel. The snakes glided away to the !
other end of the window. The rat nibbled |
at the cheese until be bad eaten it all. Thus |
he turned his attention to the |
snakes agaiu. His luncheon seemed to |
have made him holder even than he had |
4 a. A..