The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-10-20
a.

had been by the first sight of the two
rattlcrs leering nj her over her pail 10
find that Mrs Juston had taken posses
sion of those bushes. She demonstrated
with her.
i guess was here first" was all
that Mrs. Juston would say, and Miss
Still had To retire to such luck as she
could find.
Mrs. Juston's pail soon got so heavy
with berries that she let ii stand on the
ground while she went here and there
with a smaller pail which she carried
as it was filed 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 filed it even full oi
the very incest berries that had ever
been picked on the Hill. when other
piclScrs near heard her give tremcnd-
Gus yell, and run away, pale a. shcc:
and her eyes bulging. Miss Still anG
others ran To the spot. The young
woman got there first She discovered
the cause of Mrs. Justons alarm. A.
enormous rattlesnalIe lay coiled on
top of the huckleberrics in the
twelve-quart pail, with his head erect
and his tail more than humming. Miss
Still grabbed a club and Went for the
snake. The first whacll of the club
somehow missed the snake. but it hit
Mrs. Juston's pail of berries, upset IL,
and 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 10 get away from Mrs.
-
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 oI
the spilled berries and danced about
striking at the snake that was away
out of hcr reach. so that by the time tn,
RATHER disappeared in crack in the
rock Mrs. JustOu'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 oil smil-
ingly to her picking, and said nothing.
James COnnor. aged seventy, and
his grandson Charley, aged ten were
among the hucllleberry picllers on
the hill Grandfather Connor got
tired, and got in the shadow
Of rock to take a nap. Grand
son Charley pcrched on the rock and
Won't to observing things. After old
Mr.. CoEnOr had been snoozing a fcw
minutes he opened his eyes, raised hi,
head, and told his grandson that if hc
didn't quit punching him IN the back
he would get a switch and dress hi.
jacket. Grandson Connor hadn't been
punching the old man in the back, and
said 50. Mr.. Connor dropped off t.
sleep again. By and by he woke up
with start, sternly addressed his grand
son ar;In. charging the Dov with punch
ing hIyn in the back, and assurir 2 him
that 4 repetition of it would bring oE
his head dire punishment The boy
pleaded his innocence of the charge,
and the old man went To- sleep again
In a short time he awoile with Il start
and eNclaiIncd:
There yOu go again, You ounG ras-
cal! Now I'll trouncc you well!''
lie rose up to carry out his thrca:.
when the boys eyes, which had bcvoE
fixed on the old mans back, began t
bulge, and he shouted
There's a snake on your back.
grandpa! There's "a snake on yor back
Grandfather Connor, feeling q weight
there, had glanced over his shoulder,
and saw Il snake writhing and wrig-
Cling and rafting there, hanging to
Connor's clothing by its teeth With 4
yell like a wild Indian the old man
broke across Huckleberry hill, bowling
at every jump, and mis- grandson bring
ing up the rear believing like Il bull
calf. The sight of the old man dashing
wildly along with bag rattlesIal<e
hanging TO his back created great eX-
citemeut among the groups of picllers
through, and some groups broke up IN
a panic and rushed yelling in all dircc-
tions through the bushes. COnnor ran
more than two miles, the snake clingine
To him, when he passed a man named
Henry Clark Clark gazed after the fly
ing old man with the snake trailing and
comforting behind him before lie re
allied the true situation of affairs, an,
then he started in pursuit. Conner wa.
going so fast that Clark chased him
quarter of "A mile before ne came "
with him, the old man running all the
faster the more Clark yelled to him :,
stop When Connor's pursucr got with
in reach of him he grabbed for the
snake and caught IL firmly 10y the tail.
lie gave it yank, and jcrlled it loose
from its faStenings on the old man, but
like Il flash the rattler threw its head
and whole length of its body back and
struck ut Clark. The latter mcchan-
ically jerlled his head back, the rat
tiers fangs would have struck him in
the cneet. As il was they sank in his
sleeve at the shoulders, and before the
snake couid relea~s them Clark seized
it around the neck with his left hand
and held it there until he cholled it to
death.
Connor in the meantime had dropped
exhausted to the ground, and it was "a
long time before he could be revived.
When the boy came mp, painting and
crying, and told his story the circum-
stances of the case We're plain. Connor
had laid down near where the snake
was in hiding, and the rattler, not lil5-
ing the proximity, had struck at him
and hit him in the back. but his shirt
was so thick that all the old man felt
was the thump, which he thought WAS
his grandson punching him. The third
time the snake struck its fangS had
caught under one of Connor's suspend
ers and become fast in it. 1t was hang
ing there when it was discovered by
the boy and his grandfather. and the
old mans terror started him on his
wild effort to escape from snake that
was fast TO him. This rattlesnaLc
measured nearly five feet and had ten
rattle.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
AN electrician in Nashville, Tenn,
says it would be dangerous for women
-aa,.ir7er gr-ipnliua 10 cross the electric