Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1892-11-11

pillow and with the hair an,
feathers from the pillow had PRO
ceeded to build nest on the top O
his head. His hair was long an,
p, locks of it finger in thickness haC
been cut off all over his head ant
3 woven IN with the feathers and tn
hair that was still attached to hi
scalp. 1t was an hours work t.
get the feathers out of his head
and when that was effected, he wal
still ridiculous object. Their,
remained on his head only her,
and there scalp-lock and he had
to go at once to a barber and get {
regular fighting cut" He swort
vengeance against cur interesting
little pet, and that evening when
it peeped out of the stone wall OF
our cabin to ask his pardon if its
too great familiarity mad In any
way offended, he put a revolver
bullet through the poor creatures
head.
THE MYSTERIOUS NOCTURNAL
VISITOR
A capining neighbor of mine
from Grass Valley, California,
named Bill Wallace, thought he
had rat that surpassed any other
in the whole country for cunning.
Every night he could hear it, but
he could never see or catch it. He
set dead-falls baited with toasted
cheese, and tried, all manner of
deadly drugs, but without the
hoped-for result. Said Bill: "My
rat is the boss-the devil himself
is not more cunningW
Bill finally concluded he would
lay for his rat iwiths his; double
barreled shotgun. Every night it
was knocking cans, boxes, speci-
mems of ore and other things down
off the wall-plates of his ;cabin, or
was up to some other deviltry.
The thing always came into his
cabin at the southwest corner, Just
over where his table stood. Then
rattle, bang down among the dishes
would come his cans' of spices, or
whatever he had placed upon the
wall plate, which served him in
lieu Of a shelf. Sometimes 1t
would get upon the wall-plate
above his head when he was in bed
and awake him by knocking some
thing down in his face.
With candle and matches by
his side, and his gun handy, Bill
would wait and watch. hoping to
get a shot at his pestiferous visitor,
lie could hear it come in and begin
tumbling things down, but no
matter how quickly he lighted his
candle he could never see any
thing.
After a few nights of this, Bill
changed his tactics. He concluded
to take aim and blaze away with
his gun by sound. Presently he
heard the thing come in at the
usual point. Taking up his gun he
cooked both barrels and at the next
sound that reached his ear blazed
away with both charges of shot.
Something came down upon the
table with "thud," and then
there was a lively rafting among
the dishes.
Bill hastily lighted his candle
and ran to the table to see if he had
got his rat. Instead of rat be
saw upon the table, Chreshing
about among the dishes, a rattle {
snake about four feet in length. {
1t was almost cut in two in several
places, but there was still fight in i
.he part that had the head on. 4
BY the time Bill had "belted" {
.he life out of the head with the {
poker, few whole dishes were left |
On the table, and there was nice /
ness of sugar, salt, blood and
Dulverized rattlesnake to be cleaned |
up in the morning as an appetizer !
or breakfast.
The snake had been coming into {
he cabin of nights and cruising
about in search OF mice, rats and
,ther small game. 1
A MINERS PET RATrLER.
One of the old Juhntown placer !
miners who had cabin on Gold q
Canon, about half a mile below '
Silver City, had a pet rattlesnake. q
It was a big rattler that took up its t
,bode in the chinks of the huge a
stone chimney of his cabin. He /
,aid as mouser and ratter 1t beat
my cat in the country, and he !
would not have it killed for $40. J
He often saw the snake i'll his !
.abin and pretended to be very t
ond OF it. The boys working in
he neighborhood often told HIM /
hat his ''infernal rattler" would t
ret be the death Of him; but he
aid all it wanted was To get It's fill !
e rats and mice, and ii he let 1t !
Ilone it would never touch him. q
Usually when this miner went
Up to Silver City and returned to
lis cabin late at night, he turned t
l..