Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1894-05-31
A FULL DAY.
A Hunters Tale OF the Most Elk
citing Day of His Life.
Peculiar Facsuater With . RATHER. ros
Much brandy aud a supposed Band
Of indians strange Power OF
the Imagination


want to try % show. by this paper
how n hunter can have M interesting
and exciting day without killing game,
or even getting a shot-that is. II he is
Ia a rattlesnalEe country
II was some years before the war.
when game Of every kind could be
found near almost all Of our military
posts Ia New Mexico, and At his par
ticuiar tiue ! could. from the front
door % my quarters OF the old post up
against the bluffs at Fort Union. see a;
q time nearly any and every day sew
eral hundred antelope on the plain be-
tween the post and Turkey mountain.
five or six miles to the east. There
were no locomotives. cars, telegraph
wires nor poles then to brighten them
away or make them Wild
Turkey mountain runs north and
south, OF nearly 81. aud seems In have
been pushed up from below BY some
gigantic force. tive or six hundred feet
tat the highest point above the general
level Of the plain on all sides Of IL Il
: about twelve or fifteen miles long
and perhaps six miles across from base
IA base II il very rocky and uneven.
and IS OF was thicltly wooded general
Is with pinei from the northern end 10
within two or three miles Of the south
eru end. where the trees disappear or
never grew. and At which point there
= a piaiuly-marke.i crater Of An extinct
Volcano NV route from the post was
direct 70 thi. crater. ami. of course. %
the extreme southern end Of the noun.
tain.
For many miles I saw no antelope OF
any other living thing in the shape OF
man OF beast This was 50 remarkable
FOR that section Of country At that u ne.
! FELT certain -om- unusual thing had
frightened the antelope away
In the afternoon. when well abreast
- the northern ead % Turkey noun.
tain. but some miles 20 the east Of II.
and about fifteen miles from the post.
l saw quite = large herd - antelope
quietly grazing. and. as the cover and
Wind we're al In my favor. my hope,
were high FOR game
approached 70 within sixty Yards Of
tke herd. and was well covered BY a lit
tie hill or ridge. and felt almost certain
that IN i've minutes ! would nave Ar
antelope - take back % the post
dismountej quickly. laid my rib,
uu the ground. ~unfaStened the lariar
from It's place Just behind the saddle
ts-'k the picket pin IN my hand 9Th,
other ent Of the laTiat was around tn,
horses neck. and then found a ston,
- drive II into the ground. After abou
h third s.roke with the stone I felt
sharp sting on the back Of nv lef
hand, and at the same hear
the rattle % a snake. and saw within
few inches Of my hand the last half o
a large and horrid looking rattlesnak,
Just about 10 disappear in a hole In tn,
ground His tail was in the air for
second. and his ~rattles seemed 70 wav,
as a Tag in triumph. as much as To say
All | have got you this time | ha,
made Il a rule I kill, either BY shoot
ing or with stones or sticks. every rat
tiesnake J saw. But this time | though
the boot was on the other leg"
Immediately examined my hand
aud sure enough there were two pune
lures Just the distance apart to CORE
spoud 10 the tangs Of u snake. / WAS o
course frightened almost out Of m,
wits. and my case looked very serioui
indeed ! was twelve or fifteen mile
from the doctor At the post, and knew
that = very rapid ride would cause tn.
blood To circulate faster and send tn
poison through the veins all the quick
r.. and. on the other hand. II I rod
slow. the los. Of time would bring abuu
the same results All these things an,
many more passed through my mind il
the Jew minutes occupied IN puIlinl
the picket pin out OF the ground an
putting the lAri4t back ia it. place
Shooting a. the antelope I don't thin
catered my bead wAs ia great doub
how h~t "a prDeeed. but finally act-,
OF the rule laid down for old-fAshione,
whist players =. when in doub
Play a trump took a drink. and
big one
I put the aask baek n the saddl
oag~ plcNed up my 1he. and mounte,
a. ouce. and IN a few moments was 2
inz at a gallop toward the past an
watching al the time for the swelling
- begin in my 81 ake-bitten hand, and
"a NJ CONSERVATION. ! thought I eouI
see u was getting larger. also bega.
Ia feel very warm. which was 70 m
mind evidence that the poison was d
ing - deadly work then pulled a
aad took the walk. and finally halle
long enough To take another drink
knowing that II could get thorough
under the influence Of the brand
there would De a chance for me. Thi
time ! took a "whopper
After this ! rode quietly along FOR
short time and tried 10 cool down. an
made desperate efforts 10 be a phi
osopher. and die, II had To. like ma
and 4 soldier. But / o found | eouI
not play thA. role worth a eeu di
not want 20 be a philosopher and I di
not want to die did not like the ide
al ali ot being found on the prairie b
my friends. swelled up ike 4 dea
toad. and black aud ugly from the e
fest Of the snake bite
Il all OF a sudden struck me that
was not feeling 50 very badly: In fac,
! felt Just al the minute very familia
and good Thought ! had felt tia, wa
on some other occasion knew I la
never before been snake bitten
succeeded, after a great effort. il
not looking at my bitten hand for sev
eral minutes. but finally feeling :
much more cheerful and hopeful ! ia
termined TO peep at il again, trustin.
that ny fears had made my case niue.
more serious than il really vas W.T.
this feeling ] slowly raised the haaa Il
seemed very heavy before nv face.
let Il drop TO my side with a feeling o
horror and realized that there Was n
. hops. The hand appeared to be macI
!. swollen. add my whole body seemed 1
lake on 4 feeling Of WEAKNESS and las
situse that thought preceded imne
date death
laid ny r=e on the saddle IN from