The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-18

| peht was turned loose Il kept rafting
! The vibration OF Its tail was so rapid
that the tip looked like mist, but IL made
| no attempt to strike, though John, In the
iace or warnings, poked the toe of his
| boot at 1t several times Finally II was
| driven back into tho cage like a chicken,
and later in the season was sent to the
geological gardens in Philadelphia.
gentleman and his family were climb
| ing Mount Tammany on the other side
! OF the river a few days ago when his
| little girl pointed to a small snake wrig-
| Cling across the path. The father sup
| posed 1t was of the harmless garter va
] riety. but in obedience to an almost uni
| Versal impulse, stamped II to death with
| the heel OF his shoe Then when he came
| to look at it closely he discovered that it
| had a rattle and a button.
Il think wen adjourn to the other side
| or the river" he remarked. II don't like
this latitude" and he lost no time in row.
ing to the western shore.
few days later two young men ana
| two young women set out to climb Mount
| Tammany. one OF the steepest peaks In
the vicinity. 1t was exhausting work,
and the day was hot, but they kept at K,
| and about noon reached the crest, where
they took long rest. The steepness or
| the sides made it almost as difficult to
descend as to climb. Before one knew It
| he was going down hill so fast that he was
obliged to grasp a saplng to save HIM
self; then his feet would slide for several
| yards over leaves, and he would drop back
| or pitch forward. II he tripped. One OF
| the men who was ahead of his companions
was stumbling along in this fashion when
| he observed a broad rock, several feet In
hight directly in front
IN bump against that" was his de-
cislon. 1T will bruise me, but I'll be thor.
oughly stopped, and then can take new
| start"
He was almost to the rock, when he
emitted a yen plainly heard across the
| river On top Of the rock was rattle
snake fully six feet In length. lying In
| coil, with it head elevated n few inches
and It's tail raised and vibrating. 1t was
| waiting for the young man. 1t required
some vigorous contortions and wild az
robatios to veer off fsSm the rock, hut
he succeeded, and his companions. dmy
| warned, made circuit of the dangerous
| place. glad enough to reach home without
| any further experience of that nature.
John BenNinGer Is u years old and has
| been mountain climber since he was a
boy He has done the Alps, spent weeks
in the Rockies and Slerras, and calls the
| mountains In these parts nothing more
than good-sized hills. Rain or shine, he
| spends hours, staff in hand tramping
| over the almost invisible paths. where Il
! is one continual climb or descent He
| says he finds this necessary for exercise
| Two bicyclists started the other day to
! tire him out. They came back in the af~
! ternoon utterly used up, and reported
! that the last seen of Mr.. Benzinger was
as he was going up a mountain wall
| perfectly plumb and as smooth as a bill
| lizard ball. He had sent word that il he
was late the doors of the hotel could be
| locked, as he would shin up the side Of
the house to his room on the fourth floor
Probably there w $ some pleasantly in
N-u in ana AZ,
cident which befell him that afternoon
| He had reached one of those piles of
| rock that are plentiful in Jersey, as we'll
| as here where the face Is perpendicular
and 1t is fifty or sixty foet from the base
| to the top. 1t Is not difficult to climb
| them, but the trouble is that after one
! has started up the mass of stone he must
keep on TO the top. for even the veteran
| mountaineer cannot be sure of his foot
| ing, If he attempts to back down by the
way he climbed. Benzinger did not CON
celve it possible that he would find it
necessary to retreat His keen eye told
| him that he could make his way to the
top, though the footing looked insecure
in more than one place.
He tackled the work with vim, and his
! long, lank form inclined first to one side
and then to the other.a his legs and arms
were stretched here and there in quest
of The slight indentatons or projections
He was within six feet of the upper edge
when he heard the unmistakable whlrr
| Of Il rattlesnake just above He knew the
! warning too well to be deceived and bal
anclng himself on his delicate support,
considered what was to be done RETREAT
was impossible. The snake was in a
| chasm or rent in the rock near the TOP.
and just above the button of the man
cap. He could not climb to the right nor
to the left so as to go round the reptile.
and to pass in front Of it was to insure
being bitten.
The snake must have been alarmed by
| his approach, and was bristling and walt
! ing for him 10 come within reach The
staff which he carried was slung by a
| loop over his shoulder so as to give his
| arm free play. He now brought IL around
/ in front, carefully balancing himself and
| firmly grasped the staff in his right hand.
| Then removing his cap with his left hand,
he slowly raised it just above the edge of
! the cavity In which he knew the snake
/ was coiled. 1t was a new version of the
| old trick of the hunter who hiding be-
| hind a tree, drew the fire of the Indian
Ii by exposing his cap on the end or his ram
| rod.
He huttered the cap for a moment. and
then something flashed over the edge of
the rock. The snake had struck the tan
talizing object with the quckness seem
ingly Of lightning, but that was what Ben
Finger was expecting. He made a quick,
sharp stroke with his staff which
caught the rather fairly. The sin
! gle blow finished the snake, which
toppled over the rock. and twist
! ing and writing, struck the Shout
der Of Benzinger, and fell to the bottom
| of the cliff
at startled me a little when felt the
thing" he said, for didn't know but
that It would make a necklace of itself for
me, but II didn't, and when It reached the
foot of the rock / don't think it was of
much account. My fear was that there
might be another snake in the cavity, and
| / fooled around awhile longer with my
cap before passing the point, but fortu-
nately there wasn't any more of them"
HAS MUSIC WITHIN HIM.