The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-03-31

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hurt q fat hog. l have seen many
dog that would kill any rattlcsnake
hc'd come acrost lie gets Bit, of course,
may notice that he'll go of away from
the house and stay two or three days.
Hes doctorin' hissclf then. lie lays in
the mud and water, and when an lnjin
is bit he does pretty much the same.
He will put mud on the bite or jis' go
and lay in the fresh mud until the
swcllin' goes down.
THE pizen of rattlesnake is white
lie has two sharp teeth, like n cats
claw, in his upper jaw, that lay fiat
hidden under little sacks when he
amt mad. so't he can yanls in frog
or bird with his other teeth without
using his fangs at all. II he couldn't.
of course he'd never get anything to
eat but what's pizened. and that would
kill him as quick as it would anything
else. When he gifts mad the first thing
he does is to coil himself up, and then
he can strike two thirds of his length.
lie will hit rs high rs he can reach,
and his jaws wide open, like striking
thing with the palm of your hand
Ills fangs are as sharp as needle, but
they won't go through thick leather,
and. if they go through clothes, par
ticular wool, the chances is the pizen
will he sucked up by the wool Right
along the under side is groove, and
when the fang goes in it presses down
on the pizen bag at its roots, and that
squirts the juice right around the fang.
1t Will throw the pizen as far as three
feet"
Can they bite when not coilcd?"
bite any time; but they can't sock
their teeth in SO deep. No, they amt
as many people bit around here as n
man would think, but onct in awhile
somebody gets bit. was bit onct. T
was hauling freight with bull team
from Maricopa to Tombstone, and
amongst my stuff l had five barrels of
whisky for the Arcade saloon at Tue
son. Comm along down towards Ar
royo Scco | camped one evening early
where there was plenty wood and
grass, and l see Il little spring branch
tricklin' by the spot, and linowed the
spring was not far off. turned out
my stock, built fire, and went to the
spring to get Il drink of water. | sec
the spring there in amongst the lavyy
rocks, and / ltnccled down on all tours
TO drink. | am the biggest liar on
earth, partner, if didn't put my right
hand down within six inches of
the biggest RATHER l ever sec, lay
IN there all coilcd up, just ready to
strike, with his tail straight up in the
air jist whizzin', he was that mad.
lie was thinkin', l guess. that | was
goin' to catch him. | was that para
lyzed that l hadn't enough sense to
Jerk my hand up, and he hit mc Il fair
lick right on the wrist When / see |
was bit, and well bit at that, grabbed
rock and pounded that snake into
thousand pieces. Then l began
thinliin' what was best to do with nv
self Iput n chaw of terbaccer on the
wound l had learned that sucl1in'
the wound was good, if you had sound
teeth, but l llnowcd that would never
do for me, as my teeth was about half
OF 'em good Mighty few people here
have good teeth, l am here to tell YOU
poor cool<in' and plug terbaccer.
We'll, l thought of the whisky. | had
one barrel of good stuff for Billy
Flynn, that bosscd the big ditch in
them days when the mines was flush.
and had hole already bored in the
top OF the barrel and had been hittin'
her lick along the road when the
sperrit moved me. l broke of a few
rye grass straws that growed up by
the spring. and l laid at that bunr-
hole and sucked whisky till [ thought
l would bust. My NANNY never
whipped me for holdin' my breath.
Then drawcd some in tin cup and
mixed 1T with sugar and mint-mint
growed wild there. didn't want to
drink too much, and I wanted to drink
a plenty, you know 1 felt like I
could eat box full of rattlesnakcs.
rattles and all. Then l knocked under.
laid down under my wagon, and went
to sleep. woke up next morning
fresh as n daisy, and went on about
my business. The pizen never took
effect on me at all.
Then there was Tom Shucls. He
was camped up on Blue creek, boldin'
q band of horses there to get them
used to the range. lie was about sew
enty-tive miles from Benson. One
night he was out getherin' some sage
brush to throw on the fire, and he felt
something prick him on the hand, and
he thought he had grabbed hold of a
briar, and paid no moro attention to
1T. 1t hurt awful that night. He had
to git up fore day, and he lknowed a
RATHER must have bit him. He took
some paper from his pocket and tried
to write his will. Tom had money
yes, he was jest a-rottin' with coin.
lie couldn't write. lie managed to get
the best horse in his band saddled and
bridled, and he rid him through to
benson by noon. The doctor cured
him. but it was n mighty close call.