Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-10-08
THE DUDE HAD GRIT.
BUT lTIwAs A CLOSE CALL FOR THE
SCIENTIFIC GENTLEMAN.

He Picked Up . Frossn Rather, which
Thawdd Out ~ He Carried IL In the
Hot August sun Florida Snake SHARPE
Astour|ded ct tho Deed.
81 wds once ON agunning trip during
the NORTH of August in tho hammocks
along tile lower st. Johns river. Icame
to hotel ON the river bank that was
keeping open for the little business
brought|t TO 1t by the river traffic. Back
Of the Hotel was fringe Of pines, and
beyond (he pines was q reach Of barren
country powered with growth Of blue
palmetto and gallberry.
"Amdhg the persons staying at the
hotel wd 70 two young men whose in
terest il the region conferred in those
things which pertained to natural his
tory. Bbth were well dressed. Their
hands WIRE white and smooth. In town
they mi.lht have been taken for bank
tcllers. One morning, before the sun
had tak,in the chill out Of the air, one
Of these quests. In o pair Of rather gen
tcel top boots, wandered for consider
able dist bnce through the low palmetto
scrub. in his path he found rattle
snake twice us long as the orange wood
stick with which he walked.
"The ,khill Of the night air was still
in the III arrow Of the reptile. and it was
an easy matter for the young naturalist
to clutch the snake inst back Of his jaws
and hold him IN firm grasp with the
thumb al nd circling forefnger Of the
right hai ID. Carefully lifting tho body
Of the sn Ike with the left hand the nat
uralist started for the hotel with his
greatly llued prize. carrying his orange
wood can p under his left arm.
"Thcr, is nothing else that so warns
the cockl Is Of rattlesnake's heart as
the vertical rays Of the sun, and before
the youn,k naturalist had made half the
journey tb the hotel, Aie captive snake
had man hged, unobserved. TO twist his
tail about his captor's thigh Thus an
chored, be gave an ablebodied pull.
which was the naturalist's first intima-
ton that hhc snake was putting off his
sluggishn tss. With his left hand the
man was bbout TO unwind the coil from
his thigh. but he found that II he let 50
the snake at its middle tho muscle of
the reptile would be too much for the
right hai|d grasp nj its throat, which
was the only safeguard against u stroke
from its deadly fangs. So he frightened
his grasp npon the neck and quickenod
his pace o ward the hotel.
1.-The syn mounted toward the zenith
and his lays became warmer. They
gave siren 9Th and quickness 10 the cap
tive rep,ilf. Instead Of n steady draw
from the Tightening coil around the
mans thigh came series OF angry
writings which severely tested the
strength ib .he hands and arms unused
To endurance. With each CONFUSION n
change in the tint reflected from the
monsters kcales ran like thrill from
its head to its tail, and then came the
warning rjlttle that nobody has to hear
n second time in order that he may
know its meaning. The flag on the
cupola Of the hotel hung limp in the
hazy distabcc. The orange wood stick
had fallen from beneath the arm OF the
Young naturalist. A numbness was
taking pos ession of the muscles In his
arms and u rists He knew what that
meant. Nd nwhile tho diamond marked
reptile was warming up for the strug
gle. His dyes from pits Of molten lead
had bccome deep set diamonds. His
angry writings were fearful to see. He
Was venom incarnate.
lit was looking exceedingly serious,
not to say desperate, for the young nat
uralist. Cbcerfully would he have put
aside his enthusiasm in the cause Of
science and cast the reptile from him,
but that he could not do The RATHER 5
tail was C iled tightly about his leg,
and il the lhan had loosed his hold upon
the neck aid middle Of the reptile its
fangs won n have made their deadly
mark upon him while yet the coil was
unbrokcn. His life depended upon his
reaching thf hotel before the strength
in his arms gave out, aIh how much
strength he bad left he knew not, for
the numbncks in them had driven out
the sense Of feeling. Again he quick
ened his pad b.
ut must have seemed an endless jour
uey to the y,Iung naturalist as he hurried
along. his e Ics fixed upon the writing
monster, EXCEPT when they We're raised
for an instai|; to glance at the flag hang
ing above the hotel; but ut last he was
within the grounds. His friend rushed
forward froIh the little group OIL the
veranda, butt turned and ran back when
he saw the look on the young natu-
ralist's face. In moment he appeared
with strong cord and cane, which
he had eau ght up in tho hallway.
While he wa tying slip moose in the
cord neither bf the men spoke. but it
was easy 10 see that both knew there
was no time 10 waste.
LAS the Dose was slipped over the
reptiles hea and frightened by means
of the cane b CONFUSION stronger than
any that had preceded it drew together
the benumbeh hands which held the
wri,hing ere kture, and they yielded to
the force that drew them toward the
coil, which now twice encircled the
mans thigh.
I've got him, said the man who
held the noos,k.
"'Well, kindly untwist his tail. My
hands are pile tired. said the other.
''This serv &c was done quickly, and
the two younl naturalists went to their
rooms with ii eir captive.
among thf sc who had stood speech
less while TIE lie things were going on
was RattlesnaEe Bob, local snake ex-
pert from MP lie creek. AZ the young
men disappear I'D he said, without shut
ting his mouth:
"'Waal, III be il them dudes
hain't got gritE'
Yes said one Of the guests.
They re catching snakes for the Smith
sonian institut ON to experiment with. ,"
New York S n.
He Y ound His Forte.
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