The Madisonian. (Virginia City, Mont.) 1873-1915, 1896-12-05

the teacher proceeded with the les, |
sons as usual, but he kept walking
about a great deal up and down tho
aisles. and it puzzled he co~nspirators
considerably to know what that meant.
At recess the scholars filed outdoors,
some few starting a game of shin
n.y. and others Longing around and
whispering mysteriously. In front OF
the schoolhOuse. across he narrow,
dusty road, lay the virgin prairie. Bill
Sprowler and a few of the bigger boys
wandered across to the sunbaked
grass and began to talk together. An
other boy from the Schoolyard came
over to join them, walking ~diagonally
across the grass to where the crowd
stood. He had not gone more than
two steps from the road when he gave
a cry and sprang to n side. A dark,
whiplike shape dropped to the grass
as he leaped. 1t was a rattlcsnake,
and at his cry everyone from the
schoolyard, teacher and all, came rum
ming to learn the cause Now there
was just one thing Bill Sprowler was;
afraid of and that was a rattlesnake.
Ordinary snakes he would pick up by
the tail and snap their heads Off as
a mar will crack a whip. But he had
seen a tragedy when he was II 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 1t.
and feared a rattlesnake more than
he did the Almighty. But he went
| with the crowd to where the snake
lay coiled up and sending up its hol-
low, singing rattle, its cold eyes me-
nacing, it's tail oscillating as the chal'
longing rattle vibrated.
A Brave Act.
The TEACHER came up and saiu:
"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 switcle
did not quite reach the reptile, but
he struck at it, throwing himself out
of his coil. Quick as a flash the teach
err 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 a 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, "Wha
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 rattler's head off
Some of us was going to try to lick
you, but l reckon it's lucky for us VIZ
didn't try it. Pap's goin' to give t.:
. dance Saturday night, and l give yo'
!, now an invite to come. l can lick an!
!, Teller here that ever tries to max
trouble while you're teacher"
"Thank you, William" said thu
: teacher; "Ill be glad to come"
, William "chawed up two of the
boys pretty badly for not calling hin
"Bill' the next week.
He Became a Hero.
The new teacher was the hero O
Hickory from that day on. He eX
planned that to do the trick success
fully with a %rattlesnake you mus
think it is a blue racer, or a bullsnake
or a big garter-snake, and then it wa
plain sailing. But the Ridge folk,
would grin and say Il reckon" at thi
theory.
The dance came off and was a sue
cess. Nance and the teacher wer,
the shining lights, and the teacher
Jig steps at balance all" We're the ad
miration of everybody. At the end O
the term the Sprowler farm was al
agog one Sunday morning and a lon
procession went to town and fetche
up the Presbyterian church.
When the excitement was owe
Nance was Mrs. Clarke. and Bi
Sprowler was proud of the fact. Eve
now he will say: "My brother-in-lav
there's a fellow for. ye; he's a turribl
Teller, anyway"
= A Family Romance.
S. J. Elsey, a veteran of the Mexica