The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1893-10-21

/ At, ehS group OF plckerS y
distance to rest and be congratulate.
on her pluck, Mrs. Juston, seeing tina
the land had been cleared for her, re
turned to the choice picking patch tina
she had SO unselfiishly renowned hci
claim to in favor of Miss. st IL, ana
resumed her picking there When Mis-.
Still went back to go on with her pick
ing she was knocked out more than sh,
had been by the first sight of the two
rattlers leering at her over her pail tc
ind that Mrs. Juston had taken posses
sion of those bushes She demonstrated
with her.
l II guess was here first" was ali
that Mrs. Juston would say, and Miss
Still had to retire to such luck as she
could find
Mrs. customs pail soon got 30 heavy
with berries that she let It stand on the
| ground while she went here and there
with smaller pail which she carried
rs it was filled to the big pail and emp
tied its berries in that. She was max
| ing the fourth trip to the big pail,
which would have filled it even full of
the very incest berries that had ever
been picked on the Hill, when other
pickers near heard her give tremend-
Gus yell, and run away. pale as a sheet
and her eyes bullying. Miss Still and
others ran to the spot. The young
woman got there first. She discovered
the cause of Mrs. Juston's alarm. An
enormous rattlesnalse lay coiled on
top of the huckleberries in the
twelve-quart pail, with his head erect
and his tail more than humming Miss
Still grabbed club and went for the
snake. The first whaclx of the club
somehow missed the snake, but it hit
Mrs. Juston's pail of berries, upset it,
end sent its luscious contents scatter.
ing on the ground. The snake went
over with the berries. and was ready
for fight in a second. Miss Still gave it to
him, but in dealing with him she didn't
seem to be able to get away from Mrs.
Juston's spilled berries, and even when
the snake got enough of the club and
turned to wiggle away in the brush
Miss Still didn't appear to be able to
follow him, but stood in the midst of
the spilled berries and danced about,
striking at the snake that was awav
out other reach, SO that by the time the
RATHER disappeared in crack in the
rock Mrs. Juston's berries were tram.
pied to pulp. Some of Mrs. Juston's
friends said that Miss Still did it on
purpose, but Miss Still went off smil-
ingly to her picking, and said nothing.
James Common, aged seventy, and
his grandson Charley, aged ten, were
among the .huckleberry pickcrs on
the hill. Grandfather Common got
tired, and got in the shadow
OF rock to take nap. Grand
son Charley perched on the rock and
went to observing things After old
Mr.. Common had been snoozing a few
minutes he opened his eyes, raised his
head. and told his grandson that if he
didn't quit punching him In the back |
he would get switch and dress his
Jacket. Grandson Connor hadn't been |
the old man in the back, and
'aid SO. Mr.. Conner dropped off to
'leep again. BY and by he woke up
With start, sternly addressed his grand.
ION again. charging the boy with punch
ng HIM in the back, and assuring him
hat repetition of it would bring on
lis head dire punishment. The boy
pleaded his innocence of the charge,
ind the old man went to sleep again
n short time he awoke with star,
md exclaimed:
There you go again, you young ras-
al! Now I'll trouncc you well.''
lie rose up to carry out his threat,
when the boys eyes, which had become
lxed on the old mans back, began to
'ulgc, and he shouted:
There's a snake ON your bad,
randpa! There's snake on yor bacISv:
Grandfather Connor, feeling a weigh,
here, had glanced over his shoulder.
nd saw a snake writhing and wrig.
ling and rafting there, hanging tc
onnor's clothing by its teeth. With a
ell like wild Indian the old man
roke across Huclslcberry hill, bowling
t every jump. and his grandson bring
NJ up the rear, believing like a bull
alf. The sight of the old man dashing
'ildiy along with big rattlesnal.e
angling to his back created great ex.
ltement among the groups of pickers
nat the frantic procession tore
trough, and some groups broke up in
panic and rushed yelling in all direc.
ons through the bushes. Common ran
lore than two miles, the snake clinging
him, when he passed a man named ,
enry Clark. Clark gazed after the n.y.
lg old man with the snake trailing and .
,ntorting behind him before he re- ,
lied the true situation of affairs, and /.
len he started in pursuit. Common was
ping so fast that Clark chased him :
larter of o mile before he came up :
18th him. the old man running all the
stcr the more Clark yelled to him to
op When Connor's pursucr got with .
reach OF him he grabbed for the :
lake and caught it firmly by the tail. ]
e gave 1t yank, and jerlsed it loose
ON its fastenings on the old man, but {
&c flash the RATHER threw its head !,
ID whole length of its body back and
ruclS at Clark. The latter mechan-
lilly jerked his head back, or the rat 1
RS fangs would have struck him in +
e cneek. As it was they sank in his I
eve at tho shoulders and before the :
AXE could release them Clark seized
around the neck with his left hand :
d held it there until he choked it to :
ath. :
Common in the meantime had dropped .
hausted to the ground, and il was T
lg time before he could be revived.
ncn the boy came up, painting nnd
ing, and tnsd his stssy the cirq.n-