The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-20
A MIDNIGHT SIEGE.
A PAIR OF RATTLERS TAKE POSSES
SION OF TWO BEDROOMS.

1t Was Not Easy Job to Dispose Of
Them--A Man who Knew When 1t Was
Time to Wake Up--A Traveller Tells a
story of Texas to His Eastern Friends.
Well. It was out i'm northwest Texas that
I came up with an old schoolmate who has
o wheat farm near the Palo Pinto can
yon. lie was glad to see me, suppose,
because was something from the old life,
and invited me to 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 aud all the inmates
had evidently retired, so l determined to
gain my room without arousing them, II
possible. Fortunately | found my win.
dow open, and without lighting lamp
undressed and crawled into bed. But
could not get to sleep, and finally con.
cluded TO try n cigar as soothing tonic,
80 got up and began to walk over TO
where had left my clothes for my coat,
in which had put my cigar case.
had taken only few steps when l
heard the sharp whir-whir of rattle
snake The sound is unmistakable, and
/ 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 bed without touching the
floor at ali, believe. must have awak-
ened my hostess by my movements In com
ing in, in spite of my caution, for l now
heard her sing out TO her husband-their
bedroom was next to mine with only
thin lath partition between-"Oh, John,
there's rattlesnake in Mr.. Richardson's
ROOM heard himp'
Then failing to arouse him, she called
to me: "Where is hel Do you see himi'
Unanswered that did not.
The lamp was n yard or two from me,
and If | had had to go without light
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 the lady. There's never any
use in owning you are coward. People
will find it out soon enough. She wanted
to know then why did not get up and
kill him sob. " | said, 81 do not object
to his being here" She began to scream
then and to try again to awaken her hus-
band, but while am firmly convinced he
was wide enough awake to take in the BIT
uatiou not a word could she get out of
him.
| then began to get mad. The sacred
laws OF hospitality demanded that John
should arise and free his guests chamber
of all horrors except such rs he himself in
troduced there from good spirits, and l
said 80. Mrs. John did not, however,
view he matter in this light and fatty re-
fused to allow John to run this risk, John
still til king 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
Stun Der, leaving Mrs. John and me to set
tie the thing Gs we might, until n mouse
must have run over him in the dark, for
we heard him sound his alarm, and the
next moment shrill shrek of agony pro
claimed that the mouse had been struck.
This set Mrs. John off again, and she in
sisted that the intruder must be killed
"With all my heart, madam" said en-
phatically. "Will you do it?"
This silenced her for time, when
Johns SHORES grew to be something be
You'd all records of such feats. My imag
ination now commenced to grow interest
ed, and could picture that notified de
mon of the plains crawling toward me il
the dark, stealing noiselessly up the LEG
of the bed on to it and-but here Mrs
John asked, "Mr. Richardson, are you
going to kill that snakeS"
| took in every point of the situation
and replied yes, if she would hold thu
light. To my surprise she said she would
And in another moment saw the CLEAN
of light in the next room, and the com
municating door was thrown open, ant
Mrs. John, with an extra adornment of |
gayly colored patched quilt over her shout
ders, hung over the foot of her bed with
lighted lamp in her hand. The rays wer
thrown into my room, and by them 1 say
;laI t-if hi hrs
feet of the bed.
slipped my hand under my pillow an,
secured the revolver had got into tn
habit during my stay in that part of tn
country of never allowing to be away from
me for moment, and drawing it ou
cooked it.
Here Mrs. John gave a new and special
sort of scream-a woman is more afrai'
Of firearms than of, anything else on eartl
and said: "Oh, Mr.. Richardson, don
shoot. You might kill John" "f
could do that, madam, l would feel that
had not lived in vain" l asserted in
deadly, cold, heavy villain tone, but re
pented it, for Mrs. John nearly fell bacl
into bed with the lamp and my hopes o
Kidding my apartment of my roommate
But she recovered sufficiently to sit VI
once more and hold the light in wobbly
bysterical sort of way, and fired. TIL
snake, which did not hit, as | only want
ed to make him lift his head so that
could dispatch him with a single shot
now furiously threw himself into a col
and raised his ugly head, and l. aiming
as carefully as Mrs John would let me
fired again and sent the snake down witt
bullet through his brain.
Ha but what was thisI From the mex
room, from under Mrs. Johns own bed
there sounded a second rattle like not
of defiance. And simultaneously Johl
awoke with suspicious suddenness. / la,
back with the happy consciousness of dut.
performed and drained the sweet cup o
vengeance with it. "Arise, john" sal
in calm tones, land slay this menace t
thy happy home" and, blush to say, h
again so forgot the laws of hospitality q
70 bid his guest to hold his tongue.
Mrs. John had collapsed and could onl
utter indistinct means. John now do
manled of me that should throw him eN
cry object in my reach, which l at frs
declined to do, feeling drowsy but at las
consented, and showered boots, spurs an
riding whips on Mrs Johns prostrat
form. John gathered these up and II
turn showered them under the bed. A
first the snake refused to be dislodged
and, like all of us, had it only kept II
temper would have remained master of tn
situation.
But growing angry under this fusillad
it coiled and recoiled, striking again an
again, until at last it came from und'
the bed to thrust forth its head at boo
John seized his chance and gave it Il
contents of his revolver, which tore it a
TO pieces.-Philadelph Times.
A Sensitive Plant.
The company are seated at the dinn'
table Enter Baptiste-a servant-hai
gard, excited and exclaiming;
"Quick, quick--a glass of wine"