Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-11-13
THE DUDE HAD GRIT.
BUT IT WAS A CLOSE CALL FoR THE
SCIENTIFIC GENTLEMAN.

He Picked Up . Frosaa Ratslss. Which
TAawed Oat - He Carried 10 In tAl
Hot Aus1st 0aA-Ylorida Ssaks 6harpl
Astounded 81 the Deed.
IL was once ON cunning trip during
the month Of August In the hsmmocks
along the lower st. johns river. Icame
to q 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 tho pines was q 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 in 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 q pair Of rather gen.
teel top boots, wandered for q consider
able distance through the low palmetto
scrub. In his path he found a rattle
make twice as long rs the orange wood
stick with which he walked.
"The chill Of tho 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 tho
thumb and circling forehnger Of the
right hand. Carefully lifting tho body
Of the snake with the left hand the nat
uralist started for tho hotel with his
greatly valued prize. carrying his orange
wood cane under his left arm.
There Is nothing else that % warns
tho cookies Of q rattlesnAke's heart a.
the vertical rays Of tho sun. and before
tho young naturalist had made half the
Journey to the hotel, tho captive snake
had managed. unobserved. TO twist his
tail about his captor's thigh. Thus an
ohored. he gave an ablebodied pull,
which wns the naturalist 3 first int1ma-
tion that the snake was putting of his
man was about to unwind the coil from
his thigh, but he found that II he Let go
the snake at its middle tho muscle Of
the reptile would be too much for the
right hand grasp at its throat, which
was the only safeguard against q stroke
from its deadly fangs. So he frightened
his grasp upon the neck and quickened
his pace toward the hotel
1.-THE sun mounted toward the zenith
IL
gave strength and quickness to the cap
tive reptile. Instead Of steady draw
from the tightening coil around the
mans thigh came q series Of angry
writings which severely tested the
strength in the hands and arms unused
to endurance. With each convulsion Q
change In the tint reflected from the
monsters scales ran like thrill from
Its head to it's tail. and then calne the
warning rattle that nobody has to hear
. second time in order that he may
know its meaning. The flag ON the
cupola Of the hotel hung limp ia tho
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
was venom incarnate.
ut was looking exceedingly serious,
not to say desperate, for tho young nat
uralist Checrfully would he have put
aside his enthusiasm il the cause Of
science and cast the reptile from him,
but that he could not do. Tho rattler's
tail was coiled tightly about his leg.
and if the man had loosed his hold upon
the neck and middle of the reptile its
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
in his arms gavo out, and how much
strength he had left he know not, for
the numbncss in them had driven out
the sense of feeling. Again no quick
ened his pace.
"It must have seemed an endless jour
ney to the young naturalist as no hurried
along. his eyes fixed upon the writhinS
monster. except when they were raised
for an instant to glance at the flag hang
ing above the hotel; but nt last he was
within the grounds. His friend rushed
forward from the little group on tho
veranda, but turned aud ran back when
he saw tho look on tho young natu-
falist's face. In o moment no appeared
with a strong cord and q cane. which
he had caught mp in tho hallway.
While he was tying slip moose in the
cord neither Of the 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 convulsion stronger than
any that had preceded 1t drew together
the benumbed hands which held the
writhing creature, and they yielded to
tho force that drew them toward the
coil, which now twice enoircled the
mans thigh.
"'I've got him, said the man who
held the moose.
"'Well, kindly untwist his tail. My
hands are trifle tired. said the other.
'This service was done quickly, and
the two young naturalists went to their
rooms with their captive
Among those who had stood speech
less while these things were going ON
was Rattlesnake Bob, a local snake ex-
pert from up the creek. As the young
men disappeared ne said. without shut
ting his mouth:
"'Waal, I'll be - il them dudes
hain't got grit!
Yes said ono Of tho guests.
They re catching snakes for the Smith
sonian Institution to experiment with. -"
New York Sun.
A Small Boy's DeAniti0a.
Numerous are the people who have
"builtled better than thew knew - A