The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1895-01-23
HELD UP BY SNAKES.
AN ARMY EENGINEER's EXCITING
NIGHT IN THE NORTHWEST.

walking Stick That Had Nineteen Rat
tIes-Roosting on a Bowlder and Sur
rounded by Wolves-A Buzzing Noise
That Is Far From Musical.
1--WE reached the Wolf mountain, in
the Big Horn country, one day in Sep
tember, 2" said H. P. Tuttle formerly an
army engineer, "while to the south were
dimly visible the outlines of the Rattle
snake mountains These names were
given to these mountains by both the
Crow and Sioux Indians, who regarded
them with horror. Late on the afternoon
of our first day in these mountains |
sent all of my party to camp, about two
miles to the southwest. Going forward
with my transit to where | had sent my
head fagman, placed it in position and
told him he could return to camp, as
had to remain in order to make an as
Economical observation early in the even
ing
''Taking off his belt, which held
huge revolver and a sheath knife about
a foot in length he handed 1t to me.
saying that might need it after dark,
as he had just seen small pack OF
wolves ahead. After he had gone look
ed over the ground about me and saw
that was on a fiat topped hill covered
with large powders and small stones,
but entirely destitute of vegetation.
Seating myself beside big bowlder, l
took out my notebook and began writing
up my notes for the day, when darkness
suddenly reminded me that it was about
time to make my astronomical observa-
tions. This was soon over, and / started
off at a brisk walk toward our camp.
'Ihad not gone over hundred yards
when l saw, few feet ahead of me, a
long, black object lying directly in my
path. l wanted a walking stick badly,
and was STOPPING down to pick it up
when | noticed the end of it farthest
from me was white Taking a match
from my pocket and tearing leaf from
the back Of my notebook, l soon had
the desired light, and what was my hor
ror to see that the supposed stick was
nothing but one of the deadly green rat
tlesnakes, completely paralyzed by the
chilly night air.
Another light showed that the white
object was the snakes rattles. So old
was he that his rattles had turned white.
Holding my revolver within foot of
his head, fired and blew it entirely off.
But now came another surprise, which
for moment made me tremble. The re-
port of my revolver had awakened doz-
ems of rattlers who had sought shelter
under the loose rocks before sunset The
sounds came from all directions, and
some seemed close to my feet
'"To one who has been in the forest
and heard the noise made by hundreds
of locusts he can readily realize my stu
alton, for the buzz of a rattlesnake is
exactly like the buzz of a locust. The
only thing now for me to do was to stand
in my tracks all night or make my way
back to the bowlder from which l start
ed, but there was a difficulty, for in the
excitement had forgotten the direction.
But where there is will there is a
way, and by STOPPING low down and
scanning the horizon l soon detected the
outline of my transit against the sky,
and cutting off the rattles l was soon be-
side the bowlder and filed with excite
ment enough for one night.
"Sitting down by the bowlder, I made
up my mind to pass the night at that
spot and was soon sleeping as soundly
as one can in the open air, with only
canvas coat and the mercury below freez-
ing. About midnight was suddenly
aroused by something trying to pull off
the shoe from my left foot. In an instant
I caught the glaring eyes and outline of
a wolf He had given up his grip as he
saw me move, and mechanically I seized
my revolver, which had left lying in
my lap, and fired as best could with
my half frozen hand.
ga loud yell showed that he had been
struck. and Immediately a dozen or
more wolves who had been close by set
up a bowling, which in the still night
air could have been heard for miles