The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-01-16
A MIDNIGHT SIEGE.
A PAIR OF RATTLERS TAKE POSSES
SION OF TWO BEDROOMS.

II Was Not AN Easy Job to Dispose Of
Thcm-A Sian Who Knew when 1t Was
Time to Wake Up-A Traveller Tells .
Story Of Texas to His Eastern Friends.
Well, 1t was out In northwest Texas that
] came up with an old schoolmate who has
wheat farm near the palo Pinto can
yon. He was glad to see me, suppose,
because ] was something from the old life,
and invited me 10 spend week with him.
accepted the invitation, but was one day
called to the nearest town on business and
did not get back TO the farmhouse till late
Every light was out, and all the inmates
had evidently retired, 50 / determined 60
gain my room without arousing them, If
possible Fortunately found my win
dow open, and without lighting "A lamp |
undressed and crawled into bed But |
could not get to sleep, and finally CON
cluded to try n cigar us IA soothing, tonic,
SO got up and began 20 walk over to
where had left my clothes for my coat,
in which | had put my cigar case.
had taken only u few steps when |
heard the sharp whir-whir If a rattle
snake. The sound is unmistakablc, nnd
] was aware that these creatures often
creep into houses in that region and some
times show fight when an attempt is made
TO drive them out. | did not wait to in
vestigate his snakeship's whereabouts,
but gained my he'd without touching the
floor at all, believe. ] must have awak-
ened my hostess by my movements in COM
ing in, in spite Of my canton, for now
heard her sing out TO hur husbaud-their
bedroom was next TO mine with only a
thin lath partition betwecn-"Oh, John,
there's IA rattlosnake in MIR. Richardson's
room. heard him!n
Then failing TO arouse him, she called
TO me; "Where is hey DO you see himf'
answered that did not.
The lamp was yard or two from me.
and If / had had To 70 without IA ligh,
from then until now ] do not believe /
would have set my bare foot to the floor
to have got,one But did not say this,
however, to tho lady. There's never any
use in owning you ara coward People
will find IL out soon enough She wanted
to know then why ] did not get up aud
kin him. "Oh, - ! said, al do not object
to his being here. 4" She began - scream
then and to try again TO awaken her hus-
band, but while am firmly convinced be
was wide enough awake 10 take in the nit
uation not word could size get ou6 OF
him.
laws of hospitality demanded That John
should arise and free his guest chamber
of all horrors exceptsuch as be himself Ia
troduced there from good spirits. and |
said 40. Mrs. John did not. however.
view the matter in this light, and ilatly re-
fused to allow John to run this risk, John
still taking no part In the argument, but,
like Br'er Rabbit, kept ON saying nothing
and Laying low" In the meanwhile the
snake had again composed himself for
leaving Mrs. John and me 20 set
tie the thing M we might, until mouse
must have run over him in the dark, for
we heard him sound his alarm, and the
next moment IA shrin shrek of agony pro
claimed that the mouse had been struck.
This set Mrs. John of again, and she in
sisted that the intruder must be killed.
with all my heart, madam said Gun
phatically "will you do itt"
This silenced her for time, when
Johns snores grew to be something be-
yond all records of such feats. My imag-
ination now commenced to grow interest
ed, and could picture that mottled de
mon of the plains crawling toward me in
the dark stealing noiselessly up the leg
of the bed ON to IL and--but here Mrs
John asked, "Mr. Richardson, are you
going to kill that snake?"
| took in every point of the situation
and replied yes, if she would hold the
light. To my surprise she said she would.
Aud la another moment saw the CLEAN
Of light In the next room, and the com
municating door was thrown open, and
Mrs. John, with an extra adornnent Of n
gayly colOred patched quilt over her shoul-
ders, hung over the foot of her bed with "A
lighted lamp in her hand. The rays were
thrown into my room, and by them saw
a monster rattler coiled up within three
feet of the bed.
slipped my hand under my pillow and
secured the revolver had got into the
habit during my stay in that part Of the
country of never allowing 10 be away from
me for u moment, and drawing it out
cooked it.
Here Mrs John gave new and special
sort of scream-a woman is more afraid
Of firearms than of,any,hing elso ON earth
and said; "Oh, Mr.. Richardson, don't
shoot. You might kill John" "If l
could do that, madam, | would feel that |
had not lived in vain,'' | asserted in
deadly, cold, heavy villain tone, but re-
pented IL, for Mrs. John nearly fell back
into bed with the lamp and my hopes Of
ridding my apartment of my roommate.
But she recovered sufficiently TO sit up
once more and hold the light in IA wobbly,
hysterical sort of u way, and fired. The
snake, which did not hit, as only want
ed to make him lift his head 80 that
could dispatch him with n single skot,
now furiously threw himself into coil
aud raised his ugly head, and |, aiming
rs carefully as Mrs. John would let me,
fired again and sent the snake down with
a bullet through his brain.
Ha, but what was thisi From the next
room, from under Mrs. Johns own bed.
there sounded n second rattle like IA note
OF defiance And simultaneously John
swoke with suspicious suddenness. | lay
back with the happy consciousness Of duty
performed and drained the sweet cup of
vengeance with IL. "Arise, John, said
in calm tones, "and slay this menace Ia
thy happy home, and, blush 10 say, he
again so forgot the laws Of hospitality as
TO bid his guest TO hold his tongue.
Mrs. John had collapsed and could only
utter indistinct moans. John now de
manded of me that | should throw him ev-
cry object IN my reach, which | at first
declined TO do, feeling drowsy, but Mt last
consented, aud showered boots, spurs and
riding whips on Mrs Johns prostrate
I form. John gathered these up and In
( turn showcred them under the bed. At
I 1rst the snake refused tn be dislodged,
aud, like nll OF us, had it only kept its
temper would have remained master of the
/ situation.
But growing angry under this fusillade
II coiled and recoiled, striking again and
/ again, until ut last It came from under
[ the bed to thrust forth its head at u boot
John seized his chance and gave 1t the
contents OF his revolver, which tore IL all
10 pieces. Philadelphia Times
The Oldest Specimen of Glass.