The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1892-01-02
SAVED BY a PONY.
Remarkable Display Of Animal
Intelligence.
The Lives of Two Little Girls Saved in q
Miraculous Manner by Their SEN
slble FOur-FOOted
Friend.

In the neighbOrhoOd a few miles east
of this place, says a Goliad (Tex.) cor
respondent of the St. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat, Mexican pony is the hero Of the
hour at this writing. The pony, which
is very small one, was bought by a
farmer, James Lester. several years
ago, and has since then been the con-
slant companion Of the Lester children.
They have ridden San Jose, rolled over
him, and pulled his ears and tail. and
have always considered him as one of
the family. When the children went on
any expedition where they didn't care
to ride San Jose generally went along
anyhow as naturally as though he had
been pet dog; and on the few coca
sions when his liberty was restricted
and he was tied up by the head while
the children went visiting, he sung mel
ancholy hee-haws until the family were
only too glad to turn him loose. One
day not long since, however, three of
the children went on a nutting expe-
dition, and the two little girls rode
San Jose, while the brother
walked beside him. Arrived at the
point where nuts were most plenti-
full, San Jose was turned loose to
wander about and Craze at his will
until the time should come for return
ing home. The children worked stead
lily for several hours, and then the boy
went on to tree some distance away,
were. He was fully out OF sight. and
the little girls were walking about,
side by side, exploring the ground to see
II any nuts had been left. Suddenly al
most beneath their feet sounded an
ominous whirr. and there was the coil
of huge rattlesnake with his
wicked head reared from the midst
and drawn slightly back, ready to
strike. Neither child moved an inch.
Each said afterward that she could not
have naoved-tbat She felt as if she
were frozen stiff. But suddenly, while
Che deadly head went waving back and
forth, there was a quick tralnple of
hoofs, a rush through the bushes, and
San Jose leaped into the ring. With
his four little sharp hoofs brought to-
gsther he shot up into the air, landed
SO uaTe OH Tue SHahc COIL, anu was OH
again before the wicked head could
strike. The interruption had released
the frightened children from the rat
tiers influence, and they ran a short
distance away and stopped to witness
the fight. The RATHER was wounded,
but in an instant it resumed it's coil and
its offensive attitude, and the children
began to think it was all over with
poor San Jose. But no! He came
again with that sudden spring with all
four of the little hoofs STRAIT ht upon the
snakes body, and this time the body
was cut half in two in one place and
was wounded in several others. The
snake writhed and twisted, and in the
midst of it's contortions bit itself again
and again. There was no more fight in
it. 1t tried to crawl away, but San
Jose leaped upon it and trampled over
it until it lay quivering upon the
ground. San Jose was still doubtful
about it, and paved it over with one
forefoot, after which he smelled it over
carefully. Being thoroughly satisfied
that it was dead, he shook his head
jauntily, sung a melodious solo. and
went on grazing.