The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-05-30

great many years ago he'd seen h..
dreds and thousands of rattlers co1.II
PACK 70 the NIL from the surrounds
country to spend the winter anS ts
they went into a den, where tbe,, LAT
themselves into big ball, to remain -
torpid state until the warm spriner - ~
er ana the peep of the frogs would -
them out again DlIns
Mr.. Holabud was too feeble r. sL
me where the den was, but he to15
that he was sure 1t was the I'D stlu me
OF the rattlers, that they spread in 40
directions from there, and that their -
turn to its protection from the re ,-i'.
ing frosts. after season of sbiftinr, III
themselves, was as much a habit and or
rellSlous DUTY with them as the aving "a
DlIus 70 warmer climate in winter. Rnt
now they could remember to locate p
uesnake Hill SO certainly and return -
every time Holabud said he could NJ,
see. l Will tell you of one Of the avrert'
ments Holabud said he made to convir1.
himself of the correctness of the rattls.,
memory in finding its way to it's win
nome. one time, while shooting woo,-
cock up in Goshen woods, probably tver'
ty-1Ve miles from Rattlesnake hill. Hoe
bud said he encountered a young rat-Iss
and he held the serpent's head down on
the ground with a forked stick while
ring of wire to mark the reptile was tUyist
ed on its tail. The next winter. HoIab,a
said, he killed that same snake, still wear.
ing the ring, in the den on RattlesnsI,o
hill. This shows that the serpent knavS
to certainty the way to get back to its
old home when the cold came Holabud
died soon after telling me this story.
Now, l didn't want to dsbelieve Mr.
Hollabud's story. because I'm a snake
hunter myself, and I should feel bad IL
l thought any one would not believe what
l say about snakes, but still l was any
ious to see one of Rattlesnake HilPs balls
of snakes for myself. Seeing is believing
they say. rattlesnake is a heat-lovino
creature, you know, and, as 1 had never
been able to get any track of that den
just made it my business this spring to
watch for the reptiles when thew came
out of their long sleep. So 1 hunted the
rocks over and under, and prowled here
and there until last Wednesday, when
came across a monstrous big ball of the
snakes in the sun on top of a fiat ledge
near the highest part, where the air was
as warm as toast.
ut was by all odds the greatest sight
ever saw or ever expect to see. There
they were, all interviewer, heads and
points,, just about halfalive and half dead
like so many strips of thick leather.
suppose their being massed together in
this way helps to preserve them by keen
ing them warm. The ball was sort of re-
Taxed and was fattened out in shape llxa
was narrow fissure in the ledge. which 7
saw at once was the entrance to the long
looked-for den. This cavern was clean
and well carpeted with leaves, which had
been beaten down by the movements Of
the snakes in the place. There was every
evidence that it had been occupied as a
snake den for years, for there were the
backbones Of snakes all about and anv
quantity of old skins that had been
sloughed off. poked up the soil with
stick and found that Ii was full of the
remains of former rattlers. There was
not snake in the place, all having Joined
in the formation of the ball that 1 started
to tell about.
Il will go back to the ball. As soon az
the snakes saw me they seemed to give a
signal for the ball frightened up all AZ
once and started to roll right for the ifs
sure in the ledge.
LAS for me, 1 didn't know what to do.
1 was so excited. There was $50 or 81
worth of snakes there, all balled up for
me, and didn't have a thing with me to
Kill them. never felt so disappointed in
all my life. You see, / never expected TO
have so much to do in the way of snake
hunting so early in the season, and all
could lay my hands on was a piece Of
wide board, which was lying there All
the time those snakes were a-getting up
more Roadway and a-rolling faster and
faster right for the entrance to the den
In another moment down they would fall
into the cavern, and like as not I should
lose three-quarters of them.
i acted on the impulse of the moment.
said l to myself, III try my best, and
Wen see what 1 can do with this board
AT that l ran as fast as I could ahead Of
the snake ball and managed to throw nv
board down and cover up the entrance
to the cave just before the ball reached
the spot. The big ball struck the board
with such an impetus that it bounded
clear over the assure and the next instant
was on its way down the hill and across
the top of the ledge. Before the snakes
could untangle themselves the ball was
bouncing down the footpath on the east
side of Rattlesnake hill. It soon whizzed
so fast that the snakes had to tighten
their grip for safety.
II stood watching the ball as it went
down the path. 1t was a big whirling
brown mass. All went well with 1t until
1t reached a sharp turn in the path, where
1t flew off the cliff which is about fifty
feet high The ball fell into a mud bank
below, and the thud seemed to stun the
snakes, for when ] finally got to them
they had not moved, so I had no reason
TO feel afraid of them. l had good deal
OF trouble in untying them and straight
ening them out so that 1 could cut the
threats of the lot"
Mr.. Moseley secured 147 snakes in all
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