Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-03-09
HELD UP BY SNAKES.
ANARMY ENGINEERS EXCITING NIGHT
IN THE NORTHWEST.

That L. Far From Musical
We reached the Wolf mountain, in
the Big Horn country, one day in Sep
TENDER. - said a. P. Tuttle, formerly IN
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 I had sent my
head flagmaD, 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 of his belt, which held q
huge revolver and sheath knife about
q foot in length, he handed it to me.
saying that I 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 q fat topped hill covered
with large powders and small stones,
but entirely destitute of vegetation.
Seating myself beside a 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
lions. This was soon over, and started
off at brisk walk toward our camp.
''Ihad not gone over hundred yards
when l saw, u few feet ahead of me, o
long, black object lying directly in my
path. wanted q 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
tho back Of my notebook, I 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 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.
ITO 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 rattlcsnake is
exactly like the buzz Of 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 / start
ed, but there was difficulty, for III the
excitement had forgotten the direction.
But where there is a will there is q
way, and by STOPPING low down and
scanning the horizon soon detected the
outline of my transit against the sky,
and cutting Off the rattles Twas soon be.
side the bowlder and filled with excite
ment enough for one night.
Sitting down by the bowlder, 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 a
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 mp his grip as he
saw mo move, and mechanically seized
my revolver, which had left lying in
my lap, and fired as best ! could with
my half frozen hand.
"A loud yell showed that he had been
struck. and Immediately a dozen or
mere wolves who had been close by set
up a bowling, which in the still night
air could have been heard for miles
around. For an hour or two all was
quiet, when a solitary howl a few yards
from me was answered by q dozen 9TH
ers not 100 yards away. 1t was too dark
to see an animal of the size of a wolf
luck, Itook the direction of the pack as
near as possible ana sent three shots at
them as rapidly rs could fire.
"A couple of yel!s showed two had
been hit, most probably by glancing bull
lets. Soon after this the bowling of the
wolves ceased, and for awhile all was
quiet again.
''As soon as it was light enough
picked up the string of rattles which
had secured the night before and found
there were 10, and as the button was
missing he may have had several more.
A few rods from my transit lay the
cleanly picked bones of wolf which one
of my random shots had killed during
the night. and On which the coyotes had
male u substantial meal, but, not salts.
fed with this, they had devoured the
big RATHER l had killed, head and all
Returning to camp. ordered one OF
my men to cut ten small poles, not les:
than eight feet in length, and to wake
me up at 10 O'Clock. At that hour We
all started for the place where I had
passed the night Here we found, as
had expected. the warm rays of the sur
had brought out the snakes from theil
hiding places to bask in the sunhsine.