The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-04
FIVE RI T7LERS AND A Raj
They Hold n Mypuo,ic Seauce. mud = hit of
Cheese Broke the spell.

erocerynan. "Rattlesnakes can charm. pro-
vided you havo enough snakes. and put q rat
In with them. Then you watch them. They
won't charm the rat. No. They will charm
YOU. That is. IL you IRE anything like am.
and you call 1t being charmed to stand gazing
steadily at snakes and rat. with no inclination
or desire to take your eyes Off and 20 away. l
was under the spell OF such a fascination tho
other night. and l believe I would he there
staring at those snakes and that rat yet II
something hadn't happened to break the spell.
1t was up in punNsutawney Pa. There
nave always been n great many inttlesnnkes
about Punxsutawncy and even the name OF the
place doesn't scare them away. l was in that
town last week. and Il guest at the Hotel Pan
tall intinatcd that he would like to see n live
rattlesnake. Tho landlord OF that hotel Is o
very accommodating chap. and he at once
sent q man out to get n %rattler. telling him to
hurry up. The man came back in a few min
utes. He had five rattlesnakes. all nice. big.
bright. sassy fellows. fresh from the freedom
oftao adjacent hills. The guest who had said
he was anxious to sec n rattlesnake turned out
to be n liar. lie didn't want to soc u RATHER
at I'LL. Tor when the man came in with his
choice specimens the guest jumped out Of his
chair five feet, and grabbed his grip and left.
But the landlord took the guests discourtesy
all In good part. and put the five snakes in the
bay window in front OF tho house and shut
them In.
I'll keep 'em there he said. so I'll have
EN- handy. and won't have to waste any time
would like to see one
per. paid my bill. and started to get the first
train for the next town. where l had an i'm
}R snaiord s s.snS "icns. IL hs h I Mn q Sc 1Sin pst! out the
the lSndlora: ri!ii only last a few s seconds. S but
iun. The rat was dropped in with the, snakes.
dow f IN a iIst Esss s ssi4i " Y w 1ne sna Il The ,n Instant Wlnt
f Tns rat an dso opIsd in every snake n. wa up in arms:
r nafn 9n so sH,iSS a a ioad t alarm z f1 fSs Biz Ey snS
ugly heads were raised from the coils. and five
Pa sr tSpgnss da a., ,hs out and a%aiveEFe red with
lyzed with terror: Ten differing eyes
dSns for some 4uu tim no'"'fs t eiss T al
f5s nsx my v train ana cd my eneaGement II
the the rat rss sp ssMa; and s fTesen al tn the ' rat mov aa1
turned. and iaced the snakes. and then made
o dash at one. gave 1t a sharp bite In the neck.
and jumped back Just in time and far enough
to avoid the reptile 5 vicious and deadly strike.
The offensive tactics OF tho rat .enraGed the
rush for him: The rat showed light. Ono o;
the snakes showed its face within three, inches
I ri sno fri FRI a mad Es9 th Its rs een Gas. o ond, a Mdtd IN at
his chance. he shot forward and bit the snakes
tongue OH ana sple II out on the bottom OF the
window. A tremor ran through the snake
from snont to %rattles. and no quickly retreqteI
The other snake that had moved upon the rat
then made q pass for it. Tho rat spranG Up.
o movement SO quick that it made me dizzy
fastened its teeth II, the snakes neck. biting
IT sISsr thu tnrG Pssstiio k MsSn t aSsr r oa t TSiG S Z a ,nY
although I could SEQ by his .lnrlng eyes and a
convuisivo movement along his entire length
The success Of the rats manTuvres sWsei!ed
window as II he OWED it. The three snakes
that remained defiant had scattered about in |
the W VII low and the ia rat . Would make a rush
then dash at another. and then at tho third. |
going from one to another in succession.
nSse hattened against lie glass. %sntir gy
snakes and the rat. I have an indistinct i'm.
preston that heard my, train come and 60.
a sime a'i LITER a i% thir spo'f but 0fe' e anq so sas
positively. know that I never took my eyes
OF t q the spp axe and th9 rat; .,..,
the three snakes, SO to speak. for | don't know
m how lo On ih when NTH the %r Tbas sa made ds, 3 straestis
that singly they were no match, for the cum
ming rat, md after q good doal OF rafting to
seIYe ,sG 1t a one t" esS OF OF the the s WinSsw mas TIesv them them
n a row, Covering that part M,n OF tie ffite,ieaY s stsSa
lutely. me rat was too good q general not to
were that i 9ne Of them missed hiin one Of tho
in a corner for u moment and pondered. A
gas pipe ran up that corner to the top Of the
t N.na snakes ssV ws .asr er aSross i IN % de ehs n siHs Tf rnnt
The result Of, the rats pondering was that lie
s Wns 5irdn up ths pi tR and ran along it. until lie
them. The %rattlers were not long-hcaIsi
enough to sse whatthis move Of the rat meant.
rat eyed them for u Tow seconds, and then
Jumped J imp Ha, Iight ia, down upon them. landing on
one through the neck with his long ioeth. and
no other two were panic stricken and gl!ded 10
1 rns 6 6nn si sna q tbt rhS window 9bS Heci ii b, snake nn the
condition.. as the one mad done early
IN .' RI EARS nnt!s russ had worked so we'll tb,t tno
mt seemsd siSefuI. Ms irisfed re aroma e"nd 'f is
s ~ ra at e. pr nst,T tEs to e the Two two remaining
in their fury. but couldn't manage TO yet n
blow in on the agile rodent, BY and by some
s tninEE waf d ErS'pEEf now IN w Ins dr %ipaSw il n jn' ha t.f
REind tic two snakes; ana ,partially on one.
bound went clear, over the snakes and seized
81 sh sa Nt%yr m nor y, The y snakes MAXI Glided away
hnl,ed ut the cheese until ho had eaten it ali.
Thus refreshed. he turned his attention to
i1as Sn mads h fS"I polde H. "ye ,nn ihan Il, Tie '%H sasa to
and seized il uy the neck. The Other
snake moved of q short distance. but quickly
tgqrned. The rat wn. still n.ppinC at Ills last
ont his deadly head and hit the rat square 10.
hind one of his ~forelugs. The shot told. Tho
rat dropped his snake and. with u slnrp cry.
s. nt the snake that had struck him M;
fangs in the rats nose. Tho rat fall over on his
sldp. got up and ran around in n circle for two
orthree seconds. ana then fell again. He made
a a.. few eonvulsiys kicks 9nd was as dead MS ANY
rat ever was Win 2 lo9d OF poison in him. Tho
seemed to fall into q contented sleep.
D"Ihen the spell that had held me- there with
my face against the window was broken. /
turned to move away. and. TO my intense sur:
Of others who had been fascinated, | suppose.
rs ] was. although | hadn't noticed Them be-
fore. squeezed, through; and when / looked
w at the hotel clock allmost dr"pp"d, in q
my nose against that window and
gone, and | had to stay In, PunXsutawncy all
night. That understanding seance cost mo
$3.50. for that is what | lost by missing my
gement In the next town"
tu-b - U.L