New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-16
A SNAKE FIGHT.
THE BLACK REPTILES VICTORY WAS
FOLLOWED BY A FEAST.
From Chambers's Journal

Nv friend and I were returning from touI
which had carried us far into the bush, AZ the
forests OF gum trees and scrub are there called
We were walking through clearing, wheh tn
unmistakabe rattle Of a snake arrested u.s. aho
In few minutes we saw the beginning or
force encounter between two deadly enenles-A
| blacksnake and a rattle. These two branches OK
| the snake family are hereditary and implacable
foes though what was the origin OF the ieuo
Darwin saith not Between them there can be
| neither fellowship amity, compromise nor even
armed neutrality. War to the death Is theh
unalterable law from generation to generation
| The blacksnake is much smaller than the rattle,
but he is a terribly formidable foe AND as
science is superior to mere size or strength, ne
generally comes out OF the fray VICTORIOUS ne
seems to scent the battle Tor rather the rattle)
from affair."" and gives himself no rest until ne
gains a point Of vantage from which ne can
| make a sudden swoop upon the noisy roe IN
this occasion we did not see the bachsnaSe uhuI
no leaned on the rattle's throat, nor could we
afterward make out how he had got so near
without being seen. That power or sienI
stealthy, rapid movement gives the biack IeAo"
an immense advantage over the rafting enemy
II is that indeed, on which his hope or victory
mainly depends. Let the blacky by sudden
leap grasp the throat Of the unwary rattle, and
the chances are he will never let 80 again "uGul
death them do part; but il that first chance be
lost anl the two meet in fair night, after fair
warning the fangs of the rattle are pretty sure
to gain him the victory.
In This instance no such misfortune was the
blacky's He made his spring and got his grip
OF the throat, and there ne held on IKE grim
death" With fury that was sometimes awrul
the rattle Wrggled and shook, and rolled and
writhed. He Ieaped into the air, twisted and
tossed himself about, banged his assaant down
on the ground, rolled on him and over him, bur
all in vain Blacky simply stuck. Nothing
could move him. nothing tempt him or compel
him to relax his hold for single moment To
have done would have been almost certain
death to himself; but, through all The rearinSS
leapings tossings. writings and hissings OF his
victim. on he held with relentless tenaclty tnat
was equal only to his love Of his own life and his
hate Of his foes.
Thus for more than an hour and a half the
life and death game was kept up without min
ute's intermission. and without any sign o. weak
ening on either side. Then we perceived that the
rattle's strength seemed 10 be giving way and
all OF a sudden he coiled himself up and lay still.
as II TO die Whether IL from sheer ex-
haustion or only ruse to deceive ms enemy
faint a feint. were not sure. We thought
il was the former but blacky evidently thought
otherwise. He understood his enemy better than
we did and did not mean 10 be trcked Down
he lay by the side of the PROSTATE victim. but
with his teeth firmly set in the now torn and
crumpled throat.
Then after a quiet interval the one sided truce
having to a end. or the ruse having failed
the rattle rose again and resumed the unequal
struggle with the energy OF desperation-a SUI
preme struggle for life Again NJ reared and
rolled and cOiled, and darted up and down, for
ward and backward. carrying his enemy with
him In all his cOntortons. trying by every con-
cevable twist to get his fangs into the merci-
less foe; but all in vain. Then we began Ia see
in the poor victim renewed signs Of failing
strength but Notwithstanding increasing weak
ness he struggled for TIM continuously. then
interm,tently. until more than two hours and
half after the frs attack. the poor rattle gave
up the contest and lay down TO die This time i
The poor fellow was done for, and
within ten or fifteen minutes after the mute
surrender he yielded up the ghost. But even
then blacky still stuck and IL was not until the
corpse began 70 stiffen that ne for the first time
Withdrew the nails which had been driven nearly
three hours before into the sure place-the throat
of the unhappy rattle.
Then tire tragedy being ended the comedy
began. and a comedy indeed il was. at any rate
to the two spectators on the part ~ the victor
there no sign of triumph. no dancing around
the PROSTATE enemy. but with all possible staid-
ness and straightforwa rdness the hero prepared
for the celebration Of his victory H began by
stretching and Strengthening out the lifeleSs body,
smoothing out every crease and every wrinkle on
it's scaly surface with what intent We could not
even guess He seemed 70 have assumed the
role of under aker and to b. preparing the
corpse for decent burial magnanimous toward
brave though defeated foe. Not twist or
wrinkle left upon the carcass from tip 10
toe, from nose to outstrctched tail Then. 10 our
greater bevilderment We saw that he was lex
ing the body from end TO end. making straight
parallel lrcs OF saliva along its entire length
which with the rays OF the setting sun falling
IT, exhibited all its varied hues and made
long for its possession that might carry II
away with But the darky had something
better to do than indulge a benevolent sentiment
for our qualification For ten minutes or more
he continued his preparations. until he made
four or five streaks of saliva which shone ike
satin ribbons, laid horizontally on the dead body
from end to end
Then blacky rose and shook himself and hav-
ing done So took up his position at the head OF
his victim and calmly gazed upon him, with the
first CLEAN of satisfaction in his bright little eye
We were still full OF wonder and conjecture as
to his purpose nterment of some kind being the
only thing we yet thought OF. But then saw
him calmly open his mouth TO its utmost capac-
ity and take into II the entire head Of the de-
SWallOXpk