Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-10-15

Ordinary snakes be: would pick mp b.
the tail and snap their heads on a.
man will crack whip. But he had
seen q tragedy when he was IL years
old that had never left his memory.
A man binding wheat had been struck
In the forearm by a. 'rattler" and In
spite Of all that could be done had
died In the field. Bill Sprowler was
carrying water to the men In two stone
jugs strapped together and hung across
In front of the saddle. He was right
at the mans side when he was bitten.
He never g6t over the horror OF II,
and feared a rattlesnake more than
he did the Almighty. But he went
with 1.-The crowd to where the snake
lay coiled up and sending up Its hol'
lBW. singing rattle. its cold eyes me-
paelna, It's tail oscillating as the chal-
lenging.i rattle vibrated.
A Brave Act.
The teacher came up and said:
"Stand back, there, all Of you."
He had long switch In his hand.
The scholars made way for him and
he struck at the snake. The switcle
did not quite reach the reptile, but
he struck at 1t, throwing himself out
Of his coil. Quick as fash the teach
er caught up the snake by the tall
and whirled him around like a whip
lash.
"Snap" went something as the mas
far,e ~, tarHo ho rv,lu m tho right
and, separated from the body, the
snakes head fell In the dusty road.
The teacher reached In his pocket
took out a penknife and cut the rattles
off. Putting knife and rattles in his
pocket, he walked slowly back to the
schoolhouse. fs
When the snake wasin the air all the
girls had shrieked in terror and BIZ!
Sprowler, game as he was, had turn
ed as white as a ghost. But as the
snakes head quivered helplessly In
the dust so helplessly lay the spirit OF
revolt in the breast of every one of the
conspirators.
Here was man who dared. At one
stroke he had disarmed their entire
forces and the boys looked on him as
n hero When school took up after re
cess Bill Sprowler got up and said:
"Mr. Clarke, I'd like to say few
words to you and to the school"
The teacher said pleasantly, "What
Is 1t, William"
William, who was somewhat discon-
certed by being addressed In two syl-
tables, said rather stumblingly:
"Well, you're the first man in Hick'.
ry Ridge to snap a rattlers head off.
Some Of us was going to try to lick
you, but l reckon It's lucky for us we
didn't try 1t. Pap's goin' to give a
dance Saturday night, and l give voc
now an invite to come can lick any
Teller here that ever tries to make
trouble while you're teacher"
'Thank you, William" said the
teacher; 'I'll be glad to come"
William ''chawed up" two Of the
boys pretty badly for not calling him
"Bill' the next week.
He Became a Hero.
The new teacher was the hero of
Hickory from that day on. He ex-
planned that to do the trick success
fully with a rattlesnake you must
think 1t Is blue racer, or a bullsnake,
or a big garter-snake, and then it was
plain sailing But the Ridge folks
would grin and say Il reckon" at this
theory.
The dance came Off and was sue
cess. Nance and the teacher were
the shining lights, and the teachers
jig steps at balance all' were the adj
of everybody. At the end OF
the term the Sprowler. farm was all
agog one Sunday morning and a long
went to town and fetched
up the Presbyterian church.
When the excitement was over
Nance was Mrs, Clarke, and Bill
Sprowler was proud of the fact. Even
now he will say: "My brother-in-law,
there's fellow for We; he's turrible
Teller, anyway"