Arizona republican., 1899-08-03
RATHER AND THE BAT
A Snake Story Told and VouChed for
by a Man From Boston.

Nv hen 4 friend OF mine came TACK
to Boston from a winter in Florida,
said Il man from Boston. The brought
with him one of the big rattlesnak=s
that are a familiar product of Florida
This one was more tlran five feet sons.
handsome and lively. and showing
viciousness and vim with every NOV
ment. Rhttlesnakes are apt to be
sluggish and stupid in confinement,
but this big fellow didn't hesitate to
strike his fangs into anything put in
side his cage
Zone day somebody captured one of
the brown wharf rats that abound
along the Boston water front. This
particular raj was not large one. nut
he had lots of nerve. He was put into
the rattlesnake's cage. as many a rat
had been before. They had always
been the ordinary house rats though.
and none had ever survived the strike
of the RATHER more than five minutes.
The wharf rat had scarcely time 10
look about him in the cage before the
snake coiIed and strCck, sinking his
fangs in the rats neck The rat "a ~
n sharp squeal as he felt the RATHER
grabbing the snake by the jaw. closed
his teeth on it. This was a genuine
surprise 10 THE ugly RATHER He
writhed and twisted. and made every
thing hum with the violence of the
play of his enormous set of rattlers.
for the rat kept his sharp lncisors bns-
lily at work until the formidable snake
let 90 his hold on the be1igerant little
animal. Then the rat released the
rat,ler's jaw and sat hudd.ed in a /
heap, glazing at the snake, who re
treated to one end of the cage. where
he lay and surveyed the rat as if in
amazement. The rat presently began
trOtting to and fro in the cage, looking |
for Il place to escape from ii.
"a quarter Of an hour passed and
the rat did not show the least sign of
any effect Of the rattler's venom. Tie |
spectators w5re amazed at thfs. hut |
but apparently no. any more than the /
rattlesnake was himself In fact |
the 1attler probably feeling that his I
suDrc macy and reputation were at /
stake prepared TO strike the rat again.
Before he cOiled for the strike he |
crept toward the rat his eyes glitter
ing. and his tongue playing in and out /
of his mouth tiercely. This movement
on The part of rat.lesnakes is intended
to strike their victim with terror But
this rat was not stricken with terror
by this ra.tler; not even Il little bit: lie
moved forward and met mis- terrible
foe half way. Quick as the snake WIS,
the rat was quicker yet. and caught
the rattler's tongue in his teeth and
bit it off.
THAT was enough fer the raltleT. No
! g.. |
ever been so bearded and aUdaciCuSly
treated before. The big snake hast
ened back to one corner of thu cage.
and was so completely defeated that
he did not even have the heart to
spring his rattIes when the rat in NOV
ing nervously about the cage. walked
Ill over his body. But the rattlesnake
in the course of Il day or so.
and he and the rat became great
friends.
ut became the favorite paStime for
speo:atO to worry the rat by pokf1g
him with sticks. and when llnicable
relations had been established between
he rat and snake The snake used II :
cover the rat from his tormeEtOrs and
spring savagely at chem TO the toD of
The cage, while everything resounded !
with the clamor of his r'ittles. The
at was kept in the cage a fortnight or !
10 and then released. He returned TO 3
his home under the wharf, on which $
ny friends office was situated, but
very day came out and paid Il visit t
o the snake at he cage, tn r;htler
him at the lattice with 4
very demonstration of pleasure. One
lay a miscellaneous boy hanging around :
he dock She, the rat with Flo5erL I
life and did what all the rattlaSnake's .
poison had failed to do-killed the rl5-
t was interesting to see the snake
watch every day for the rat TO come
nd when several days passed. and he
at did not come, the RATHER coiled
imself up in his corner and lay there
ay after day, refusing to notice food
II to respond with his usual vicious
ess to the probi1gs of a stick. l do
ot want TO say this RATHER WAS pm
nc for the t'ompanionship IF the rat
nut one day when my friend Went TO
IS cage and tried to stir the snake up
I i