The times., 1898-09-04
CHARMED BY RATTLERS
Lively Fight Between Snakes
and One Rat.
TIE RODENT WAS PLUCKY
1t Was the Obseryer and Not the
Rat Who Was Fascinated by the
Three Hours and Missed His Train
and a Big Order.

''Rattlesnakes charmed me once" said
5ohn Gilbert, the travelling groceryman,
land it cost me $3.50. 1t wasn't intended
that the snake should charm me. 1t was
expected that they would charm rat.
They charmed me; that is, if you call
1t being charmed to stand gazing stead
fly al snakes, with no inclination or de-
sire TO take your eyes of and go away.
] was under the spell of just such a fas-
cination, and there is no telling how long
/ would have remained there staring like
q hypnotized victim at those snakes and
that rat if the spell hadn't been sud
denly broken.
"It was up in a village among the
Allegheny Mountains. where great
many rattlesnakes abound. Somebody
at the hotel where ! was stopping got to
talking about rattiesnekes, and travel
ing man who was also a guest there
said:
I would like to see a live rattlesnake
once. I don't know of anything / am
more curious to see.
Is that So said the landlord. Well
we don't have 'em on the bill of fare,
but I guess we can accommodate you.
Hello, Jaker
"a wiry-loookig little old man who was
sitting on the piazza got up and came in
at this call.
Jake said the landlord, 4 want to
use a live rattlesnake. Can you get me
one right away?'
Sure said Jake, and went out. He
wasn't gone more than fifteen minutes
when he came back with FIVE nice. big
yellow rattlers In a bag all fresh from
the freedom of the adjacent hills. The
guest VINO said he was so anxious TO see
q rsttlesnake turned out TO be a liar.
He didn't want TO see a rattler at all.
Tor when Jake came in with his choice
specimens, which were rafting like a
lot of click reels in motion, the guest
Jumped out of his chair, grabbed his
grip and left But the landlord took thu
mans discourtesy all in good part and
turned the rattlers loose in a bay or
show window in front of the house
where there were some ferns. a small
turtle, and number of stones and shells
and slut them in
IN keep 'em there said the landlord
so IA have 'em handy and won't have
no waste any time sending out for one
Tor the next guest who says he would
like TO see one.
Il got through with the little I had "a
90 In the place, ate my supper. paid my
bill, and started to get the. firtst train for
Pltts0ung, where / had an impOTtant en-
gagement As l was leaving the Office
the landlord came along. He had a big
rat.
I'm going to put him in with the
IN QlygGp hl t
seconds, but you'll see some fun wniie 1t
lasts
Il had time a-plenty. SO I stopped 70
see the fun The rat was dropped in with
the snakes. The snakes were lying al
one end Of the window, apparently list
less and sleepy but ehe moment The raI
dropped in every snake was up. Each
one coiaed quicker than a fash. Every
rattle sounded loud alarm. Five big
ara ugly heads were raised from the
coils. Five black forEe1 tongues darted
out and ouiVered with the excitement Of
their owners. The rat crouched down in
one corner, apparently paralyzad with
terror. Ten gliGering eyes g.ared at it,
as THE raBties sounded and rhe tongues
Quivered in and out
81 forgot all about the train and my en-
gagement. Z gazed at the strange scere
speEib0und. Presently the rat moved
turned faced the snakes boldly. and then
made a wild dash at one of them, biting
s. in the neck, and jumping back in time
20 get beyond reach of the reptiles vi
cious strike. The offensive tactics of the
rat filed the snakes with rage. Two Of
ahem uncoiled and made rush for il.
have an indistinot recollection Of some
pne near me saying. That's something
new for ratttler TO do but / paid no at
fentiOn to IL. ] did not move. SO utterly
Fascinated was I with the spectacle
1.-The rat showed fight TO the two
Snakes that had rushed toward it. One of
the snakes stopped with its face within
three inches of the rat, where it lowered
Ats broad head, turned the terrible glare
OF its eyes fun on those of the rat, and
Shot out It's tongue rapidly at it. / sup
posed the rattler was using its alleged
power of charming things upon the rat,
but II II WAS il failed to get the animal
under Its power, for the rat darted for
ward and bit the snakes tongue off, spit
ting IL out on the bottom of the window.
A tremor ran through the snake as if the
sippdng off of IT'S tongue hurt II from
snout TO rattles. and it quickly retreated
and huddled up in one corner of the in
closure.
Now the other snake that had ad-
Tanced upon the rat made vicious pass
for the spr1ghtIy and undismayed little
EDAlIaA Inc Si3fdfiS up. Jufflpru ttt7-tT
over the snake, turned, and with a move
ment so quick It almost made me dizzy
Fastened IT'S teeth In the snakes neck and
bit d. through. The rat held on to the
snake awhile, and then released it. The
enake keeled over on the floor and, al
though its glaring eyes and the con-
Fulsive movement along it's entire length
showed that It was alive. it did not rise
again and took no interest in the subse-
Quent proceedings.
'',rhe success that had attended the
rats maneuvers seemed to inspire It with
stIH further Gboldness, and with what
eeemed TO me a dangerous Indifference 1t
began to tread about the Enclosure as if
st owned IT. The three snakes that re-
Slained defiant had scattered. The rat
would make q dash toward one elude its
strike, and then rush at the others in
succession, worrying the snakes until
their fury was terrible TO look at. I felt
myself shuddering more than once. but
not thought OF taking myself away
once entered my mind. l stood there with
my nose fattened against the glass, en-
hirely obnvious TO everything but the
enakes and the rat 7 have an indistinct
impression that i heard my train come
end go, and after a time another one, and
some time later a third one. but ! can't
gay positively. I know that / never took
ny eyes off the snakes and the rat.
THE rat had worried and drawn the
Hre Of the snakes. so to speak, 1 don't
know how long, when the rattlers them
selves had recourse TO strategy. They
had, perhaps, seen thar singly they were
no match for the cunning rat, and after a
good deal of rafting to and fro and his
eing and darting out of tongues, the
khree snakes massed themselves at one