The Van Buren press., 1895-02-09

. snake can't hit him. A hog will kill
'em, too, and snakes poison don't
hurt a fat hog. have seen many .
dog that would kill any rattlesnake
he'd come aorost. He gets bit, OF course,
sometimes, but w'enevef he's BIT You
may notice that hon go off away from
the house and stay two or three days.
He's doctorin' hisself then. He lays in
the mud and water, and whom an Injin
Is bit he does pretty much the same.
He will put mud on the bite or jis' go
md lay in the fresh mud until the
swellin' goes down.
1.-THE pixen Of a fattlesnake is white
1la hus two sharp teeth, like cats
claw, in his upper jaw, that lay fat
hidden under little sacks when he
amt mad, sot he can yank in a frog
or Bird with his other teeth without
using his fangs at all. II he couldn't,
of course he'd never get any thing to
eat but what's pizened. and that would
kill him Us quick as it would anything
else. When he gifts mad the first thing
he does is to coil himself up. and then
he Gun strike two. thirds of his length.
He will hit as high as he can reach,
and his jaws wide open, like striking
thing with the palm of your hand.
His fangs are as sharp as a needle. but
they won't 60 through thick leather,
and. II they go through clothes, par-
ticplar wool, the chances is the pizen
will be sucked up by the wool. Right
along tho under side is groove, and
when the fang goes in it presses down
on the pizen bag at its roots, and that
squirts the juice right around the fang.
1t will throw the pizen as far as three
feet"
Can they bite when not coiled?"
"Bite any time; but they can't sock
their teeth in 80 Deep No, they amt
as many people bit around here ss a
man would think, but onct in awhile
somebody gets bit. was bit onct /
was hauling freight with bull team
from Maricopn TO Tombstone, and
amongst my stuff had flvc barrels of
whisky for the Arcade saloon at Tue
son. Comm along down towards Ar
royo Seco | camped one evening early
where there was plenty wood and
grass, and sec little spring branch
tricklin by the spot, and l knowcd the
spring was not far off. l turned out
my stock, built fire, and went to the
spring to get q drink of water. see
the spring there in amongst the lavvy
rocks. and kneeled down on all fours
to drink. l am the biggest liar on
earth, partner, If didn't put my right
hand down within six inches OF
the biggest rattler I ever sec, lay
In therc all coiled up, just ready to
strike, with his tail straight up in the
air jist whizzin'. he was that mad.
He was thinkin', l guess, that l was
goin' to catch him. | was that para
lyzed that ! hadn't enough sense to
jerk my hand up, and he hit me fair
lick right on the wrist When see
was bit, and well bit at that. grabbed
a rock and pounded that snake into
q thousand pieces. Then l began
thinlin' what was best to do with my
self. Iput a chaw of terbacccr on the
wound. l had learned that suckin'
the wound was good, if you had sound
teeth, but knowed that would never
do for me, as my teeth was about half
OF 'em good. Mighty few people here
have good teeth, am here to tell you
poor cookin' and plug terbaccer.
Well, l thought of tho whisky. had
one barrel OF good stuff for Billy
Flynn, that bosscd the big ditch in
them days when the mines was flush,
and had q hole already bored in the
top OF the barrel and had been hittin'
her q lick along the road when the
sperrit moved me. l broke off few
rye grass straws that growed up by
the spring, and laid at that bung-
hole and sucked whisky till thought
l would bust. My nanny never
whipped me for holdin' my breath.
Then drawed some in tin cup and
mixed 1t with sugar and mint-mint
growed wild there. didn't want to
drink too much, and wanted TO drink
n plenty, you know. felt like l
could eat box full of rattlesnakes
rattles and all. Then knocked under,
laid down under my wagon, and went
to sleep. l woke up next morning
fresh as daisy, and went on about
my business The pizen never took
effect on me at all.
'Then there was Tom Shuck. He
was camped up on Blue creek, holdin'
band of horses there to get them
used to the range. He was about sew
enty-five miles from Benson. One
night he was out getherin' some sage
brush to throw on the fire, and he felt
something prick him on the hand, and
he thought ho had grabbed hold of a
briar, and paid no more attention to
it. 1t hurt awful that night. He had
to git up fore day, and he knowed q
rattler must have bit him. He took
some paper from his pocket and tried
to write his will. Tom had money
yes, he was jest a-rottin' with coin.
He couldn't write. He managed to get
the best horse in his band saddled and
bridled, and he rid him through to
Benson by noon. The doctor cured
him, but it was mighty close call.
"Old man johnson (Tin Cup John
son, they used to call him) and his
boy, Feather Leg Willie, went out one
day after a load of juniper. and they
see the dog tree rabbit in cleft Of
rocks. The old man wanted to get the
rabbit, so he rech his hand in the hole
after him. and his hand was too big.
He felt somethin' scratch him in the
han. So he tells Joe to rech in. Joe
he rcch in for Mr.. Rabbit, and rat
tlesnake nailed him quick. The old
man sucked his hand where the snake
jes' creased him, and went on after his
load of wood But Feather Legs came