The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-09-18
TEXAS SNdkEs.
The Bionted Rather. the Living Iariat,
nud the Puut.

CuTiOuS anu VuTleu CORRECTION OF Snakes. NcDO-
nous and non.venomous. l wouldn't lose any
time In getting down into Texas" said J. I.
Barnett Of III Paso county. Il am not In the
snake business myself. but l have had tho
subject OF snakes forced upon me 40 constant
~ in my travels through Texas that ! havo
fnvoluntarily become rs familiar with a lot OF
assorted serpents as II ] had been a hard and
inveterate consumer OF tho popular brands OF
whisky the natives indulge in dow there.
When l see the rattlesnakc they brng about
up North here I am amazed. for tho biggest
ono I've seen yet seems dwarllsh and lamb-
like compared with tho interesting Texan
RATHER. especially the bloatcd RATHER OF tho
Stakcd Plains. Imude my first acquaintance
with the ordinary rattlesnake Of Texas at tho
time the route Of the Texas Pacific Railroad
was being located through III raso county. l
was along with the engineer corps. and ono
sunday ] strolicd out in the direction OF the
Sierra del Diablo. whose cleaning peaks and
rocky front were apparently not more than n
rifle shot distant. SO clean cut did they stand
out against the sky. but they were ton miles
from camp. But tho hills wsrc not the attrac-
ton of my tramp Somewhere between tho
foothills OF the Sierra del Diablo and camp WIS
II famous spring. called Rattlcsnnko Spring.
at which. according to the tradition OF the IN
dians. two big rattlcsn axes were constantly on
guard. The water OF the spring was alleged
10 have great medicinal properties. but it was
death to any ono who atom pied to drink at
the spring unless he first killed the two rat
tlesnakes. for tho instant he stopped to Guair
u Ma.ers one or ootn OF the deadly serpents
would strike him and sink thoir poison fangs
into him, thus putti,y him out a, III. way ~
oil future trials. tribui,tion onI tr""b,o
Ihat II ranchcr had once been found lying
dcau with his face at the surface OF the spring.
where he had lain down with the evident pur-
pose of 9ucnehinG his thirst. two purple
incisions in his temple and his bloated body
sno",nI oosona a question that he had been
struck by a rattlesnnke while lying in that
that pnrt Of Tcy,s ond tha snala ,,at hnn
donht,nss hf, ,ra' 49,, anu inc SNAKE NAV hau
at tho edge Of tn" A., sprins nv -, th, no ,no '1 ,rha
discovered i,s xictim sIil, w., 49, ho,r.,
thn4 - ~ ~, victim. sun ma my aouD,s
lay in wait there for thirsty ,oamcrs. and tina
purpose Of nv trim that sunday was to iryoso
NEate tho matter. | went alone. because no
one would 70 with me. Hound tho spring. It
basin. and it came up from tho white sand in
cool and tempting volume. I saw no sign Of
~ nrrSen.o %, fn''ieshakes' a'thou:h the
surroundings looked snaky enough. and
and after a close ana cnrc,mI s.rn.;nv
Of nil IL. rools -" "Iu .n..tu, scrutiny
ia e"a pSiuobJ bsShcS
water was Under Tho GuardiansLip Of ratiI"..
day ut least. H stiil. "i # | EEaaddnn,t1 oh BEEN eat so tor thlt
without riskine q rink. ali tic same me- but 1t as
rem plain chat lay between me and camp with
out Iuenehing my burning thirst was not 10
tho rock at one side Of tho spring. lust where
they had found the dead and swollen ranch:
DeNG my face so clos, tp thn >vnso- tLnt
l could, see. myself and everything about
ne reflected in the crystal depths us
1t Is. beyond question. well for me that these
reflections were SO intense and vivid. Tor [
The re,narkable mirroring. Suddenly some.
thing that at first thought was the reflection
moved by the brisk breeze that was blowing.
SHOT back and forth midway between tie
Gut as / rnzoi nm" my I l.nt I ch,ns" ID to Inc Se siiI1rI anj
my thirst was forgotten. The swift moving.
aulvarin2 reflection | hnu Thought w..s FRAT 4
shot back aud forth from n%eneath 4 shelving
LURKING danger from vinw. Coiied in u y
crevice beneath thnt she!tcrinE rork. not
and with part of its own fearful ihromnti
visible even by reelection. was an enormous
sssms5 Io,, read to Gs s'F ESor Fo! IN instapti
lacked my bond clear 70 my shoulders be.
'olI tli' Vault Ilc EbSillDl | MAS Ill making
il impossible for me to rise uuicI enough ont
OF danger. As l duckcd / felt tho snakr Strike.
| wore u heavy. wide.collar rcd flannel shirt.
The snakes iangs struck the shirt near tina
lower edge OF the collar. not an inch away
from my luGular. The instant / fol- The s,r;k, |
] spranG to my feet. The rattlesnnkc's
fancs were fast in tho collar. and it's
long body squirncd and contortnd along nv
side and clear to my feet. drew NV rcvolycr
as quickly rs ] could. and placing the muzzlo
against the Iattler's Jaw. blew his hnnt 10
pieces. Tho snake fell t. tho ground. and so
did |. There was 10 more !ifo left IN me than
fore | got strength and nerve enough to yet on
my feot again. and il there is any ono IN tho
worla who knows how il feels to DO sn0trhcl
from the very Jaws OF death ! am that uorson.
When ] had recovered sufficiently / straight.
Cncd the dead snake out. Without his nead
lie was two good PAGES Ions-mot nm inch l"sss
than six iect. lie had sixteen rntties. which
cW, oil and have to-day. l don't know whether
guardians Of tho spring or not. for / diIn,t
spend any, time looking for another one.
Neither did | 1ucnch NY thirst nj tho sprinr. |
but made tracks away IRON il as speedily asi