The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-09-27
THE DUDE HAD GRIT.
BUT 1T WAS A CLOSE CALL FOR THE
SCIENTIFIC GENTLEMAN.

''I was once on a agunning trip during
the month of August in the hammocks
along the lower st. Johns river. Icame
to a hotel on the river bank that was
keeping open for the little business
brought to it by the river traffic. Back
of the hotel was a fringe of pines, and
beyond the pines was reach of barren
country covered with growth of blue
palmetto and gallberry.
Among the persons staying at the
hotel were two young men whose in
terest i'll the region centered in those
things which pertained to natural his
tory. Both were we'll dressed. Their
hands were white and smooth. In town
they might have been taken for bank
tellers. One morning, before the sun
had taken the chill out of the air, one
of these guests, in pair of rather gen
teel top boots, wandered for a consider
able distance through the low palmetto
scrub. In his path he found rattle
snake twice as long as the orange wood
stick with which he walked.
''The chill of the night air was still
in the marrow of the reptile, and it was
an easy matter for the young naturalist
to clutch the snake just back of his jaws
and hold him in firm grasp with the
thumb and circling forefnger of the
right hand. Carefully lifting the body
of the snake with the left hand the nat
uralist started for the hotel with his
greatly valued prize, carrying his orange
wood cane under his left arm.
'There is nothing else that so warns
the cookies of rattlesnake's heart as
the vertical rays of the sun, and before
the young naturalist had made half the
journey to the hotel, the captive snake
had managed, unobserved, to twist his
tail about his captor's thigh. Thus an
chored, he gave an ablebodied pull,
which was the naturalist s first intima-
tion that the snake was putting off his
sluggishness. With his left hand the
man was about to unwind the coil from
his thigh, but he found that if he let go
the snake at its middle the muscle of
the reptile would be too much for the
right hand grasp at it's throat, which
was tllO OHIy utl1u ttSSl1uou u SUlOh6
from its deadly fangs, So he tightened
his grasp upon the neck and quickened
his pace toward the hotel
''The sun mounted toward the zenith
and his rays became warmer. They
gave strength and quickness to the cap
tive reptile Instead of steady draw
from the tightening coil around the
mans thigh cama q series of angry
writings which severely tested the
strength in the hands and arms unused
to endurance. With each convulsion
change in the tint reflected from the
monster scales ran like thrill from
its head to it's tail, and then game the
warning rattle that nobody has to hear
a second time in order that he may
know it's meaning. The flag ON the
cupola of the hotel hung limp in the
hazy distance. The orange wood stick
had fallen from beneath the arm of the
young naturalist. A numbness was
taking possession of the muscles in his
arms and wrists. He knew what that
meant. Meanwhile the diamond marked
reptile was warming UP for the strug
gle. His eyes from pits of molten lead
had become deep set diamonds. His
angry writings were fearful to see. He
was venom inearpate,
ut was looking exceedingly serious,
not to say desperate, for the young nat
uralist Cheerfully 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 rattler's
tail was eoiled tightly about his leg,
and if the man had loosed his hold upon
the neck and middle of the reptile It's
fangs would have made their deadly
mark upon him while yet the coil was
unbroken. His life depended upon his
reaching the hotel before the strength
strength he had left he knew not, for
the numbness in them had driven out
the sense of feeling. Again he quick
ened his pace.
Must have saemed an endless jour-
ney to the young naturalist as he hurried
along, his eyes fixed upon the writhing
monster, except when they We're raised
fpr an Instant to glance at the flag hang
ing above the hotel; but at last he was
within the grounds. His friend rushed
forward from the little group ON tho
veranda, but turned ana ran back when
Pe saW the look on the young natu-
ralist's face. In moment he appeared
with a strong cord and cane, which
he had caught up in the hallway.
While he was tying a slip moose in tie
cord neither of tina men spoke, but it
was easy to see that both knew there
was no time to waste.
''As the moose was slipped over the
reptiles head and frightened by means
of the cane a convplsion stronger than
any that had preceded it drew together
the benumbed hands which held the
writhing creature, and they yielded to
the force that drew them toward the
coil, which now twice encircled the
mans thigh.
Tive got him, saia the man who
held tha noose.
Well, kindly untwist his tail. My
hands are a trifie tired said the other.
"This service was done quickly, and
the two young natpralista went to their
r1oms with their captive,
"Among those who had stood speech
less while these things were going on
was Rattlesnake Bob, local snake ex-
pert from up the creek. AS the young
men disappeared he said, without shut
ting his mouth:
WAL, I'll be - If them dudes
hain't got grit !