Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-05-19
A SNAKE UNDER HIS SHIRT
An Unpleasant Feature of Sleeping Out OF
Doors In Colorado.

1T was in the San Juan country
in Colorado, in 1875, that / had al
experience that few men would bC
likely to forget in a lifetime, " sale
j. E. Lantry in the Office of an III
town hotel much frequented BY
western men. "A party Of five d
us had gone in there to prospect
ahead of the rush that we knew
would come next year. 1t was one
night toward the end Of September
that we were in camp in the oper
air, every man lying rolled up in his
blankets, for the nights were getting
cold and frosty. Next to me was q
man named Adams, from Illinois
originally, / believe. About the
middle of the night he woke me by
calling my name.
What's the matter, Bill2' / ask.
ed,
He answered me in most pc.
culiar 1t was as if he were try
ing to speak without breathing or
moving a muscle of his body.
For Gods sake, help me, Ian
try!' he said. There's a snake
crawling up under my shirt
81 came up on my elbow and look
ed at Adams. The moon was shin
ing brightly, so that ] could see ev-
erything almost as well as if it had
been daylight. Adams was lying on
his back as still as a stone, and his
face was like the face Of a corpse.
He had taken his boots off before
turning in, and his stockinged feet
stuck out below the bottom of his
blankets. Alongside one of them,
passing inside his trousers leg, was
the last IL inches of rattlesnake-
a big one-curling to and fro, like
the end of whip, as it went up out
of sight
4 For Gods sake, hurry1' said
Adams. His heads on my chest
now, and he's coming higher all the
time, Cut my clothes off me and
don t waste timel
:" Keep still, Adams, and don't
wake the camp I cautioned him.
IF there gets to be racket round,
it'll start the snake up. He won't
get hostile if he's let alone. Now
he's quiet, and let me work.
TWAS an easy matter to pull the,
blankets off Adams. That left him
lying in shirt and trousers, with the
snake next his skin. Then / set to
work to cut away his clothes. OF
course, before began I located the
snake, but that was an easy thing to
do, for under the clothes the reptile
felt as big as a barrel. My hunting
knife was as keen as a razor. I be-
gan at the trousers leg, ripping it
up at the side. Then ] cut the shirt
open on the side, working from the
bottom up. Adams was standing the
racket well, all t. ngs considered.
He lay there, not mo ring a muscle,
scarcely venturing to breathe, with
hat heavy, cold reptile on his chest
md it's head at his throat. But in
hat still tone that he had used be-
ore something as if dead man
we're talking he would say now
md again, Hurry up! for Gods
AXE, hurry!'
up round the neck, where the
,and was tight, it was ticklish bust
less to cut the shirt loose without |
utting Bill. and then, again, real
zed that was working with my
land mighty near rattlesnake's
lead. But I got the shirt cut clear
rom top to bottom. Then / went
ound to the other side of Adams.
Now, Bill, | said and pulled |
hirt and trousers leg over to me,
eaving Adams body bare, with the
make in full view. The reptile was
big, dark colored mountain snake, /
ully feet long. AS it lay in some
hing of an S shape, its tail was at |
Adams knee, while its head rested |
n the hollow of his throat.
AT sight of me the snake drew |
Jack it's head ard went half into coil
n Adams. stomach. Then, seeing
hat l did not move or offer to at
ack it, the snake turned and crawl
d off from Adams and made for
he shelter of plant half dozen
tops away.
''All right, Bill; he's gone, l
aid.
It was like touching spring. 1
,elieve that when Adams came up
rom the ground he went four feet
traight into the air, and the yell he
etched made the boys think as they
yoke that the Utes were upon us.
The sight of half naked man,
and yelling, without there !
eeming any cause forit, was rather
tartling as it was; but Adams quiet
III down IN a 711iY111fn ~, two abort