Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-10-22

was . sense Of impending conhiof.s
When they had all seated themselves
the teacher proceeded with the les.
sons a. usual, but he kept walking
about q great deal up and down tho
aisles, and 1t puzzled the conspirators
considerably to know what that meant.
At recess the scholars filed outdoors.
some few starting a game Of "shin-
ny" and others lounging around and
whispering mysteriously. In front Of
the schoolhouse, across the 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 q to where the crowd
stood. He had not gone more than
two steps from the road when he gave
a cry and sprang to one side. A dark,
whiplike shape dropped to the grass
as he leaped. 1t was q rattlesnake,
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 q rattlesnake.
Ordinary snakes he would pick up BY
the tail and snap their heads OF -
a man will crack q 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 q "rattler" and in
spite Of all that could be done had
died in the neld. Bill Sprowler IA
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
with the crowd to where the snake
lay coiled up and sending up its hol-,
low, singing rattle, its cold eyes me-,
nacing, its tail o~scillating 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 switc,s
did not quite reach the reptile, but
he struck at it, throwing himself out
of his coil. Quick as q fash the teach
er caught up the snake by the tail
and whirled him around like . whip
Lash.
Snap went something a. 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
OF. 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 BiH
Spr0wler, game as he was, had turn
ed as white as q ghost. But As the
snakes head quivered helplessly In
the dust so helplessly lay the spirit Of
revolt in the breast OF every Of the
c~onspirators.
Here was a man who dared. At
stroke he had disarmed their entire,
forces and the boys looked on him a.
a 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 it. William"
William, who was somewhat discon-
certed by being addressed In two syl-
tables, said rather stumblingly:
"Well, you're the first man in Kick.
ry Ridge to snap a rattler's head az.
Some of us was going to try to lick
you, but I reckon it's lucky for ~ we
didn't try 1t. Pap's goin' to give a
dance Saturday night, and I give voc
o an invite to come. l can lick any
Teller here that yer tries to make
trouble while you're teacher"
THANK you, William" said the
teacher; "Ill 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 b trick success.
fully with q rattlesnake you must
think 1t is a blue racer, or q bullsnake,
or a big garter-snake, and then it was
plain sailing. But the Ridge folks
would grin and say II reckon" Ut this
theory.
The dance came OF and was q q {
cess. Nance and the teacher were,
the shining lights, and the teachers
Jig steps at balance an were the ad-
miration Of everybody. At the end az
the term the Sprowler farm was IN
agog one Sunday morning and Z long
procession went to town and fetched
up the Presbyterian church.
When the excitement was over
Nance raj Mrs. Clarke, and BIN
Sprow1ef was proud Of the fact Even
now he win say: my brother-inlaw
there's q fellow for 70; he's . turrIh1e
fo11or NMuuynv - & NJ