The St. Johns herald., 1896-11-14

Ordinary snakes he would pick up by the tail and snap their heads off as a man will crack a whip. But he had seen a tragedy when he was 12 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 got over the horror of it, and feared a rattleSnake more than he did the Almighty. But he went lay coiled up and sending up it's hol- low, singing rattle, its cold eyes me nacing, its tail oscillating as the chal- lenging rattle vibrated.
 A Brave Act.
 The teacher came up and said: "Stand back, there, all of you"
 He had a long switch in his hand. The scholars made way for him and he struck at the snake. The switc.G did not quite reach the reptile, but he struck at it, throwing himself out of his coil. Quick as a fash the teach CT caught up the snake by the tail and whirled him around like a whip lash.
 Snap" went something as the mas ter's arm jerked sharply to the right, and, separated from the body, the snakes head fell in the dusty road. The teacher reached in his pocket, took out penknife and cut the rattles off. Putting knife and rattles in his pocket, he walked slowly back to the schoOlhouSe.
 When the snake was in the air all the girls had shrieked in terror and Bill 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 a man who dared. At one stroke he had disarmed their entire forces and the boys looked on him as a hero. When school took up after re- cess Bill Sprowler got up and said: "Mr. Clarke, I'd like to say a 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- fables, said rather stumblingly:
 ''Well, you're the first man in Hick'. ry Ridge to snap rattler's head off. Some of us was going to try to lick you, but reckon it's lucky for us we didn't try it. Paps goin' to give a dance Saturday night, and I give yo+ now an invite to come. I can lick any feller 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- plained that to do the trick success fully with a rattlesnake you must think it is blue racer, or a bullsnake, )r a big garter-snake, and then it was plain sailing. But the Ridge folks would grin and say q reckon" at this theory.
 The dance came off and was a sue cess. Nance and the teacher were he shining lights, and the teachers fig steps at balance all' were the ad- of everybody. At the end of he term the Sprowler farm was all lgog one Sunday morning and long procession went to town and fetched ID the Presbyterian church.
 When the excitement was over Nance was Mrs. Clarke, and Bill Sprowler was proud of the fact. Even low he will say: My brother-in-law, here's fellow for ye; he's a turrible eller, anyway"