Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1895-04-02
HELD UP BY SNAKES.
AN ApMY ENclNEER's EXCITING NIGHT
IN THE NORTHWEST.

A Walking stick That HAD Ninetsen Rat
tiss-nocsting on . Bowidsr and Sur
Fouudsd ~ Woives-A BuEsins Noise
That Il Far From Musicai.
1--WE reached tho Wolf mountain, IN
the Pig Horn country. one day I'm Sep
tember. " said n. p. Tuttle, formerly an
army engineer, ''while to the south wero
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
thom with horror. Late ON the afternoon
OF our first day in these mountains 1
sent all Of my party to camp. about two
miles to the southwest Going forward
with my transit TO where had sent my
head fiagman, Iplaced 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 Of his belt. which held q
huge revolver and sheath knife about
a foot in length. he handed IL to me.
saying that might need it after dark,
as he had Just seen q small pack Of
wolves ahead. After he had gone look
ed over the ground about me and saw
that was on a fat topped hill covered
with largo bowlders and small stones,
but entirely destitute Of vegetation.
Seating myself beside a big bowlder,
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 ohsorva-
tions This was soon over, and started
on at a brisk walk toward our camp
''I had not gone over a hundred yards
whm saw, few feet aboad Of me, q
long. black object lying directly in my
path. wanted a walking stick badly,
and was STOPPING down TO pick IL up
when noticed the end OF IL farthost
from me was white. Taking q match
from my pocket aud tearing leaf from
the back Of my notebook, soon had
tho 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 tho snakes rattles. So old
was no that his rnttlea had turned white
Holding my revolver within q foot of
his head. fred and blew It entirely of
But now came another surprise, which
for q moment made me tromble The re-
port Of my revolver had awakened doz-
ems Of rattlors who had sought shelter
under tho loose rocks before sunsot. The
sounds camo from all directions, aud
some seemed close to my feet
ITO ono who has been in the forest
and heard the noise mado by hundreds
Of locusts no can readily realizo my stu
alton, for the buzz Of a rattlesnake is
exactly like the buzz Of q locust The
only thing now for me TO do was to stand
in my tracks all night or make my way
back to tho bowlder from which start
ed, but there was a difficulty, for In the
excitement had forgotten the direction.
But where there is a will there is a
way, and by STOPPING low down ard
scanning the horizon ] soon detected the
outline Of my transit against the sky,
and cutting of the rattles was soon be.
side the bowlder and filed with exotic.
lubnb enough ADE Ou0 ulkuL.
Sitting down by the bowlder. made
up my mind to pass the night at that
spot and was soon sleeping as soundlJ
as one can in the open air, with only q
canvas coat and the mercury below freez
ing. About midnight was suddenly
aroused by something trying 70 pull od
the shoe from my left foot. In an instant
! caught the glaring eyes and outline o.
q wolf He had given up his grip as h'
saw me move, and mechanically / seized
my revolver, which had left lying II
my lap and fred as best could with
my half frozen hand.
"a loud yell showed that he had beer
struck. and Immediately a dozen Of
more wolves who had been close by SCI
up q bowling. which in the still nigh
air could have been heard for mile
around For an hour or two all wa
quiet, when a solitary howl few yard
from me was answered by a dozen 9th
ers not 100 yards away. II was too dArl
to see an animal Of the size Of q vol
more than 90 feet away; but, trusting Il
luck, took the direction Of the pack a
near as possible and sent threo shots q
thom as rapidly as could fire.
} "a couple Of yalls showed two hai
been hit, most probably by glancing bul
let's Soon after this tho bowling Of thr
wolves ceased, and for awhile all wa
quiet again.
"Aa soon as n was light enough
I picked up the string Of rattles which
had secured the night before and founr
, these were 10, and as tho button wa
missing no may have had several more
A few rods from my transit lay Ga
oleanly picked bones Of o wolf which ON
Of my random shots had killed durin
the night. and ON which tho coyotes ha
made q substantial meal, but. not satil
fed with this, thoy had devourod th
big rattlor had killed, head aud all.
Returning to camp, ! ordered one Q
my men to cut ten small poleE, not lea
than eight feet In length, and 20 wax
me mp az 10 O'Clock. At that hour "
all started for the place whore / ha
? passed the night Hore we found, Rs
; had expected, the warm rays Of tho zu
, had brought out the snakes from thei
hiding places 70 bask IN tho sunhsine
"Wowere greeted with q defiance nC
unlike that Of q thousand July locustl
and the work OF destruction began
r real earnest In one hour aud ton miI
3 ntes our bag contained 2i8 rather
varying from ono foot 10 over three fe'
B IN length, and Of a dark groen ooloi
+ Only two were found whose rntfloa ha
turned gray. We could have donlroye
hundreds more had our time not been ID
Q valuable 10 waste Ia such sport We sa'
but few rattler after leaving this poinl