The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-01-20
A sun RIVER 0RPHEUS,
Melody Of a Harmonioa Drew Hun
dreds Of Rattlesnakes Around
a Cowpuncher.
The Reptiles Insisted on Innumer-
able ,,Repetitions of "Ihe
.Suwanee River"
Va The COWBOY Has the Horrors Whom
HI Hears It-Fiction Of Northern
Montana. "

az had An experience one time,'' said the
a~v.eovpuncher, az he rolled a cigarette with
!. dizziness born of long practice, and AK
~ . faw draws settled himself comfortably
in his seat.
.Thad an experience with snakes that
,.te ,ae feel queer when | think OF IT, and
a ynr fellows would like to hear 1t will
tell you"
We we're on the eastern bound tram Oh
the Manitoba road a few miles out OF beh~
ton. and a slight acquaintance OF a lew Gays
previous in that city had quickly passed
into a feeling of comradeshlp that 10 inner
ant in any man who has lived any lengeh
IF time in the west, says a writer IN tue
snokane Chronicle. My newly made frleno
had been many years 4 '~'cowpuncher, nus
had ,aft that business as the country had
ranidly settled up and was now running .
hand Of sheep on the Morlas river. III
northern Montana. He was on MS way
east to see his people and have q goou Time
aud so be chatted in u breezy. wholesome
vav shat was charming / filled my memory
with some of his yarns, and this, l think.
w9Q tho NOSV n -
81 was working for the J. Y. outht," ne
began, ''and we had just gone on the spring
roundup and were working the sun River
range. We were calnped this day Of my az.
ventu-e at Whisky Browns, right under
SQUARE Butte, on the old stage road to
Ha,ena and a few miles from Fort Shaw and
Snn River crossing. There was a good
snring there which Brown used IN lrrlRatlng
his ranch, and the roundup always campeo
at that place u day or two whlle Inc sur
rounding country was worked. onr morse
haraer was sick and each outfit had been
man to herd IS their turn came.
This day Il was ours, and ! was the man. J
took the band from the night herder about
5.an il the morning, and after the boys mad
cancht their horses let them feed around
the sp,ing awhile so that all conld drlnk ~
thew wished, and then drove them about
NM a mile down, where the grass WAS
better. -;,,
The hills and plains were covered with
nature,s bright carpet. relieved With ire
onent dashes of early wild flowers, as
though sown by tho hand of the master
gardener to prove his wonderful skill III
making this Wilderness OF seven months T., q
paradise during five. | could mark the
ronrse of it's black banks, where the
MIGHTY Missouri rolls down to the sea-,
ana in nv mind l followed this greatest OF
rivers down, down thousands OF miles 70
the sea and up the coast where my GEAR
ones lived, and, boys, l got - MELANCHOLY
40 taking out a small mouth organ or har-
monica. which instrument in those days
was a great fayorlte among c~owpunchers,
began to play.
ment who would make a professional un-
EASY for his lau, els. | was a fairly eoot
performer, and being IN, az ! SAID q ten
der Mood. gave aye v9 Hen, 70 my Th heel'ns:
went into what l considered my
masterpiece, beginning, Hear me
Norma l played softly and slowly, anc
had got to AT thy feet behold ana Whlcl
the boys always called for-that air, when
heard a low rafting, and looking down 4
few feet below me ] saw a largo rattlesnuk'
coiled, with his head SLOWLY swaying to ant
fro, and evidently enjoying the music.
.ssAh. hav thought [, here's Il snake tina
appreciates operate music And as l hat
often read of the power music IS supposed
to have over snakes of ill kinds l deter
mined to keep on playing anu see what !
over it again: but this snake was 500
Joined by others, who. as they ctawled GU
OF their holes. assumed the same attitude
as the first. and were evidently charmed.
"By Jove, boys. they came out in droves
and l saw that the vicinity was alive wit
them. A long experience with these rep
tiles had made me insenslble TO fear o
thsm, and worked up BY this novelty of tn
thing and the excitement OF seeing SO man
of these powerful destroyeis subject to m
will, I forgot all about personal safety an
kept on playing and enjoying myself.
.'Oncs l stopped, and then began angr.
rafting and a quick dlsapnearance G
as I resumed. l gave them airs from 'Ih
Bohemian Girl varied with Tho Devil
Dream.' .Mrs. McLcod's Rsel' and 'Th
Girl l Left Behind Me- and they really re
sponded with their swaying hsads to tt
different time. But the tune that SCENE
to rlesse them most was 'Ihe ouwane
River and one big fellow in particular, q
whom / counted twelve ratties. got 80 Q;
cited that his leaps and twists brought hil
within a few feet of whers [ sat. Then
suddenly Quoted down and his head ju
barely came down above his coil. while h
tail slowly ratified in time with the must
"Then I caught his gaze and, boys, ! VI
fairly fascinated by the look | saw there.
believe this talk of snakes charming peop
to be all fancy, bus in the eyes of this ra
tier that were fastened on mine there W
such a wicked. cold, d%evilish, fendi
stare hat I fairly shiyered, al
moved my hand around TO get n
pistol to take n shot at him.. | was sittil
up now with NY back almost touching
small ridge of rocks. Still keeping my ha
in my left hand ! was on the point of ru
ing my gun from the scabbard When o Il
intense voice a few yards behlnd me said
Don't move, jim, for Gods sake, a
keep on PLAYING. There's a big iatt
within six inches of ycur neck and anott
close to your hand. Keep on playing un
the boys come up. PM all alone and Cal
help YOU
81 knew the voice to be that of my DO
Wallace, and from it's tones | was in gre
danger, and for a moment | faltered, and
that moment | could feel the cold body
the snake as it came in contact with
hand: but, although | felt like yelling a
jumping up, l knew that would mean dea
for quicker than any living thing. except
the cat. is the movement of q rattlesnake
it strikes.
$50 l sat still and kept on playing
.Suwanee River where ] heartily wished
was. Every few secouds-they seen
years to me-Wallace, would whisp
keen up your nerve, old man the boys
almost here. There's lots of whisky
camp if you're bitten. Don't stop play:
or you're a goner,' and other cheer
words, at which. serious as the occns
was. ! almost felt liks laughing, 30 wrou,
up wasI.
'Still kept up the 'Suwanee River
tongue got dry and my bps almost rsfu
to shape the notes. On [ kept until
'Suwanoe River had run into a peri
muddla of extem porizing, the like of wi
no one had ever heard before from q mo
organ. l tried to get back onto some
knew, but although knew my life
pended upon keeping the snakes quiet
tho music | could not remember a sin
thing and had reached the state when al
could bring out of the harp Was the n
made as | drew and repelled my breath.