The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-09-23
TRAILING THE RATHER.
CONNECTICUT HUNTERS VINO TRACE
the REPTILES SINUOUS PATH.
with = Forked stick ~ weapon They
seek Hin FOR lis "Peit" and "Ile"-
SnnncrNlek Mnnntnin,a RInnA RcrnrnA

seek Hin for Hts Pert" and "ne"-
somcrriek Mountnin's Ginnt Serpent
PORTLAND. Conn, Sept. 22.-Tracking rattle
snakes is n curious and favorite sport on the par
OF n number Of eccentric hunters who dwell on
sterile little farms among the rugged hills In
waste places in the midi Connecticut Valley.
Their m tho1 Is peculiar. They are ready to
track snakes-only %rattlers are pecuniarlly
worthy Of their prowess-at any hour Of the
day and anywhere. While at work in
their stony fields among the rugged hills. or
strOlling through pasture lan1. or toiling along
the dusty roads on foot or in wagon. they are
always prompt to drop all other concerns and
dart of on the track OF a RATHER. They track
him, moreover. in precisely the same way that
other sportsmen stalk q rabbit or a fox by his
trail across snowy fields. Often they follow in
the path OF n serpent from ten to twenty min.
utes before driving him out Of cover; then force
him to make a stand In the open and do battle.
How are they able 70 pick up" the trail OF
a RATHER, all but imperceptiblc to the unprr
ticcd eye, so lightly does the serpent pass over
the earth. and pursue II unerrIngly through
thorny pastures, and copses entangled with
bull briers and weeds2 We'll. their art Is a mys-
terry TO all but themselves; IL Is the especial and
indispensable part Of their craft. They do IL,
that Is clear enough. and that's all that the
novice can intclllgently discern about IL.
For q quarter OF a century II wasa common b.
liefthat rattlesnakes were extinct In the Nutmeg
State. but in the past ten or fifteen years tho
country people-the young folks especially
have steadily swarmed down the hills into tho
cities, leaving tho old homestead for good and
all; and no less steadily. all the time. nature,
with her robe Of greenwood and her wild prime
val brood OF beasts and birds has cncroached
upon the clearings OF civilization and resumed
her old time sway In many a forlorn old hill town.
The ~rattlers, rs well as wildcats and foxes. and an
occasional panther. glided along In her advance
ing train. OF course, and IL Is an eloquent fact
to-day that not only il there more wild land In
the State than was the case a century ago, hut
rattlcsnakes and predatory beasts are plentiful
In almost every quarter.
Fifteen years ago II was an episode to 10
talked about for months when a Nutmeg farmer
or hunter slew a RATHER; this year not less than
thirty-hve or forty big rattlesnakes have been
taken within the boundaries OF the State. IS
easy enough now to bag a RATHER on the crnggy
hillsides round about this town any time. and
down among the Lamentation Hills and the
Hanging Hills to the southwest. the hunting of
rsttlesnakes Is capital sport, too. and almost
equally rs remunerative.
At the head of the rattlcr tracking guild, in
deed. head and shoulders above most other
huntsmen. In respect OF his craft and skill, IL
Dell Reeves. who Is known in half a score OF
Atlantic states as the champion Of rattlesnaks
hunters. Dell has hunted the "varmints" for
fifteen years steadily. sometimes for an avoca-
ton, oftener for a "stiddy business" he says. in
the summer months, and In that time has killed
hundreds of %serpents. So many. indeed. that he
10 reluctant to try to compute the number. In
suspicious weather, when luck Is with him. and
especially II the tracking IL good, he has been
known to bag from three to half n dozen ~rattlers
in a single day: and. having gone forth to hunt.
IL Is a cold day IL he comes not home like Little
Bo Peeps" sheer. trailing tails. and in this case
rattlesnak es' tails. behind him.
He hunts ~rattlers with simply q forked stick,
in Pennsylvania fashion, tracking them across
field and moorland, through forest. fells, and
brier-grown uplands, coming upon them stealth
lily. and finally pinning them to the earth
unfailingly, and so swiftly that the serpent
dreams not of Dell Reeves until Dell's stick 10
at his throat. throttling him. Dell skins his
prey promptly and drops 1t into his bag, then
stalks on with his sflck, tapping the ground
"Blssck.eyed Susan" 80 smontSly p and iow GIr
that even a sleeping RATHER would be soothed
Dett sells his RATHER hides to country sports for
q goodly sum. Odd customers these, with heavy,
bad men in a sporting sense. and can do It in no
other way with such a sinister and snaky effect
Kills. as well as their hides, boiling them down
s: splendid for old aides asrheumstia.""
oil to M aid%fI druggists "ast for oqa almost 'f fabulous ons
% other :. r T%i' drug Hna s s%sss' ali i q about so1R'Ssa New IN E RSs.
more about its magic curative powers than
about skunk's oil, for instance, another rene.
tap in country shops, having an endemic
repstati9n; IKE ginseng among the Chi:
seSson IN n scores as % Of s. SiacKRs siasSf' and ana antique "a t IA
hanging BY a piece OF twtne or black thread TO g
biasksned old-time %sreplaes. "An'' A0'''
But Dell Reeves. who for years hunted rat
the only tracker Of serpents here now. He has
no fewer than three or four capable rivals, and
nsariy Sss as 9 snt" a! 'f Is bel. hi Fog s Is SrsSi,y
ne and his ehpmi Ralph Kelsey. ghils
ersicE, Mountain a day or two ago, suddenly
halted not far from a copse. almost intuitiysly.
shifted the air significantly once or twice. ike 4
iosh9pnd; then said Confidently
per; " smell msir . on %ra a1Sas' n eshiri s TisH B IN Sure { rh, =;
born: Now don't make a sound, Kell
you Just cut a stick and follow me, and he's
Meantime Henry had been studying a curious
trained eyes; a struggling trail IL was. such as
= peacock, drawing a tall feather on the ground.
pcwder-liks dust OF the road.
hhIhsrets where the devil got up and busted
Lansing senteniiously, but SIN in a tone 50 low
IS TO be almost inaudible. He amt fur OF now,
b esa tsli You; .c an, Ven Tout the cri'ter out in
Saying that the tracker OF ,~rattlers slipped
side, gliding through saddles and hriars
ana wood weeds as noiselesSly as an Indian
scouts, and Ralph, his friend, tagged along
behind, his nerves trembling with the
excitement and concern Of a hitheTto untriri
.esslY about a dozen rods or so. and tken Henry
drOOped his head and shoulders, scent
ng his game, stepping giugeFly on the shout
torest turf; and presently he halted, slowly
lifted himself erect, poised his forked stick Ike
click into a cover Of weeds and brush.
Al this time RALPH Kelsey, ineIpeTierced ard
half skepticAl Of Henry's art, had seen AND
heard nothing, had even scented nothiuE, that