The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-06-17
CEASED BY A RATHER.
Pursued for Hundred Yards by a
Reptile That Meant Business.

Pursued for Hundred Yards by a
Reptile That Meant Business.
| From the Sacramento Neus.
| 81 never wanB to pass through such an
experience again, said Executive Messenger
A. A. Walton, as he replaced the cover on
the box and set the receptacle in a drawer.
at makes me shudder to think of my adj
venture"
Messenger Walton's thrilling adventure
| happened on Gov. Markham's recent quail
hunting trip in Kern county. Walton ac-
comp anied the governor on his outing. The
incident can be best told in the messengers
| own language:
| 1.-THE country over which we were hunt
| ing u said he, twas slightly broken up in
spots covered with considerable brush
| When we first went there we were informed
| that while quail were plentiful in the
vicinity, the supply OF snakes was limited
| This was disappointment to me. as we had
in our commissary stores goodly invoice
| Of snake antidote.
For several days In our field sports we
| never encountered q rattler. We weren't
particularly anxious to find them, either.
Don't you know there is something loath-
some about q crawling, Kissing snake, and
especially Is the obnoxiousness intensified
| when 1t ratties2
at was the morning prior to the day
fixed for our departure when went out OF
| the cabin to collect little wood The hour
| was early. was unaccompanied by dog
gun or even a stick. The air was Inspiring
and WAS full Of melody. Whistling Annie
Rooney l stopped over small bush TO
gather q dead branch. As was about to
pick 1t up buzrng sound informed me
| that the bush concealed a RATHER.
with fright jumped back just as the
| flattened and wicked head Of the rsttler
| punctured the top branches of the bush
and appeared In sight. saw In g moment
| that the snake was a monstrous and wicked
reptile.
1.-THE rattler was aggressive. With sur
prising alacrity it cleared the bush and
darted for me. l retreated quick y, with
my face to the serpent. 1t was all that
could do to keep out of the way Of the rep
tile
1T would jump nearly its full length
then with lightning rapidity it would coil
up, an instant later again jump.
THE rattler pursued me for fully l0C
wards before was able TO make the least
defence from its onslaught, only what my
legs permitted, and, Lot me tell you, l moved
mighty rapid, ZOO.
'SFinally the rattler, from his exciting
exertions, showed signs of becoming tired.
| The ground over which we were passing
contained many stones the size of your fist
and larger.
GAS i retreated, constantly keeping my
ewes on the snake, picked up stone after
] stone and hurled them at the rattler. 1t 1.
| remarkable what accurate sight a Kern
| county snake possesses. The snake for q
time. seemingly without effort, lodged the
rain of missiles which sent at its writhing,
| squirminR body. .---.-
"But nau's superior endurance finally be-
came triumphant With welI-directed al N
| | struck the RATHER on the head and the
| battle was over.
"The rattler measured feet 519 inches In
length, At the biggest part OF its body the
| snake measured 17$ inches in circumfer-
ence."
| In the box which Messenger Walton SO
| carefully put away among the archives Of
l the governors office were the ratties OF the
| monstrous and Delligerent brute. They
numbered fiity.tour and button.