The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-01-07
A MIDNIGHT SIEGE.
A PAIR OF RATTLERS TAKE POSSES
SION OF TWO BEDROOMS.

a PAIR OF RAT TIERS TAKE POSStS-
SION OF TWO BEDROOMS.
Il Was Not an Easy Job TO Dispose Of
Tbem-A Man who Knew When It Was
Time to Wake Up-A Traveller Tells a
Story of Texas to His Eastern Friends.
Well, It was out in northwest Texas that
] came up with an old schoolmate who has
o wheat farm near the palo Pinto can
yon. He was glad to see me, | suppose
because | was something from the old life,
and invited me to spend week with him.
j accepted the invitation, but was one day
called to the nearest town ON business and
did not get back to the farmhouse till late.
Every light was out, and all the inmates
had evidently retired, SO l determined to
gain my room without arousing them, IL
possible. Fortunately found my win
dow open, and without lighting n lamp
undressed and crawled into bed. But
could not get to sleep, and finally I con-
cluded to try cigar rs n soothing tonic,
30 got up and began to walk over to
where had left my clothes for my coat.
in which had put my cigar case.
l had taken only u few steps when /
heard the sharp whir-whir of rattle
snake. The sound is unmistakable, and
l was aware that these creatures often
creep into houses In that region, and some
times show fight when an attempt Is made
to drive them out. l did not wait to in
vestigate his snakeship's whereabouts,
but gained my bed without touching the
floor at all, believe. must have awak-
ened my hostess by my movements In com
ing in, in spite of my caution, for / now
heard her sing out to her husband-their
bedroom was next to mine with only
thin lath partition between-"Oh, John,
there's II rattlesnake In Mr.. Richardson's
room. heard himl'
Then failing to arouse him, she called
to me: "Where is heS Do you sec him?"
answered that did not.
The lamp was n yard or two from me,
and II had had to go without light
| from then until now do not believe
would have set my bare foot to the floor
to have got one. But did not say this,
however, to the lady. There's never any
use in owning you arc coward. People
will find it out soon enough. She wanted
to know then why 1 did not get up and
kill him. "Oh," said, al do not object
to his being here" She began to scream
| then and to try again to awaken her hus-
| band, but while am firmly convinced he
| was wide enough awake to take in the sit
uation not word could she get out of
him.
l then began to get mad. The sacred
laws of hospitality demanded that John
should arise and free his guests chamber
of all horrors except such as he himself In
troduced there from good spirits, and ]
said so. Mrs. John did not, however,
view the matter in this light, and fatty re-
fused to allow John TO run this risk, John
still taking no part in the argument, but,
like Br,,er Rabbit, kept on saying nothing
and "laying low" In the meanwhile the
snake had again composed himself for
slumber, leaving Mrs. John and me to set
tie the thing as we might, until mouse
must have run over him in the dark, for
we heard him sound his alarm, and the
next moment u shrill shrek of agony pro
| claimed that the mouse had been struck.
This set Mrs. John Off again, and she IN
sisted that the intruder must be -Eilis-i'
| with all my heart, madam" said en-
phatically. "Will you do it2"
This silenced her for time, when
Johns SHORES grew to be something be
yond all records of such feats. My imag-
ination now commenced to grow interest
ed, and could picture that notified de-
mon of the plains crawling toward me in
the dark, stealing noiselcssly up the leg
of the bed on to it and-but here Mrs.
John asked, "Mr. Richardson, are you
going to kill that snake2"
| | took in every point of the situation
and replied yes, If she would hold the
light. To my surprise she said she would.
And in another moment saw the CLEAN
of light in the next room, and the COM
municating door was thrown open, and
| r. n N axtr IA N 81
gayly colored patched quilt over her shout
ders, hung over the foot of her bed with IA
| lighted lamp in her hand. The rays were
thrown into my room, and by them saw
| a monster RATHER coiled up within three
| feet of the bed.
| slipped my hand under my pillow and
secured the revolver had got into the
habit during my stay in that part Of the
country of never allowing to be away from
me for u moment, and drawing it out
cooked it.
Here Mrs. John gave new and special
| sort Of scream-a woman IL more afraid
of firearms than of: anything else on earth
and said: "Oh, Mr.. Richardson, don't
shoot You might kill John" "If
could do that, madam, would feel that
had not lived in vain,"I asserted in
deadly, cold, heavy villain tone, but re
pented it, for Mrs. John nearly fell back
into bed with the lamp and my hopes OF
| Kidding my apartment of my roommate.
But she recovered sufficiently to sit up
once more and hold the light in wobbly,
| hysterical sort of way, and fired. The
snake, which did not hit, as only want
ed to make him lift his head so that
could dispatch him with single shot,
now furiously threw himself into coil
and raised his ugly head, and /, aiming
as carefully as Mrs. John would let me,
fired again and sent the snake down.with
bullet through his brain.
| Ha, but what was thisf From the next
room, from under Mrs. Johns own bed,
there sounded a second rattle like a note
| OF defiance. And simultaneously John
awoke with suspicious suddenness. lay
back with the happy consciousness of duty
| performed and drained the sweet cup of
vengeance with it. "Arse, john" said
in calm tones, land slGy tiis menace to
thy happy home" and blush to say, he
again SO forgot the laws of hospitality as
% bid his guest to hold his tongue.
| Mrs. John had collapsed and could only
utter indistinct means. John now de
manded of me that should throw him ev
cry object in my reach, which | at first
declined to do, feeling drowsy, but at last
| consented, ana showefed Doots, spurs anu
riding whips on Mrs. Johns PROSTATE
form. John gathered these up and In
turn showered them under the bed. Al
first the snake refused to be, dislodged
and, like all of us, had IL only kept it,
temper would have remained master of the
situation.
But growing angry under this fusillade
1t coiled and recoiled, striking again and
| again, until at last it came from under
the bed to thrust forth its hes.l ut a boot
John seized his chance and gave 1t the
| contents Of his revolver, which tore 1t al
| to pieces. Times.