Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-05
A SNAKE FIGHT.
The Black Reptiles Victory Was Fol-
lowed by q Feast
From Chambers Journal.


From Chambers Journal
1t was in Australia and in the fall of the
year. Ny friend and were returning from
a tour which had carried us far into the
bush, as the forests of gum trees and scrub
are there called. We We're walking through
a clearing, when the unmstakable rattle of
snake arrested US, and in a few minutes
We saw the beginning of a fierce encounter
between two deadly enemies-a blacksnake
and a rattle. These two branches of the
snake family are hereritary and implacable
foes, though what was the origin of the
feud Darwin saith not. Between them there
can be neither fellowship, amity, compro-
mise nor even armed neutrality. War to
the death is their unalterable law from gen
Grafton to generation. The blacksnake is
1nuch smaller than the rattle, but he is
terribly formidable foe, and, as science is
superior to mere size strength he gem
orally comes out of the fray victorious. He
seems to scent the battle Tor rather the
rattle) from affair.", and gives himself no
rest until he gains a point of vantage from
which he make a sudden swoop upon
the noisy foe. On this occasion We did not
see the blacksnake until he leaped on the
rattle's throat, nor could we afterward
make out how he had got so near without
being seen. That power Of silent, stealthy
rapid movement gives the black fellow an
immense advantage over the rafting en-
tilS. II Is lfldl, indeed, on winch his hope
of victory mainly depends Let the bIacky
by sudden leap grasp the throat of the
unwary rattle, and the chances are that he
will never let go again until death do them
part; but if that first chance be lost, and
the two meet in fair fight, after fair warn
ing, the fangs of the rattle are pretty sure
to gain him the victory.
In this; instance no such misfortune was
the backys. He made his spring and got
his grip of the throat and there he held on
like grim death" With fury that was
sometimes awful the rattle wriggled and
shook, and rolled and writhed He leaned
into the air, twisted and tossed himself
about banged his assailsnt down on the
ground, rolled on him and over him but an
in vain Blacky simply stuck Nothing
could move him, nothing tempt him or com
lei him to relax his hold for single mo-
ment. To have done so would have been
almost certain death to himself; bur
through all the rearings. leapings. tossings,
winnings and hissings of his victim on he
held with relentless tenacity that was
equal only to his love of his own life and
his hate of his foes.
Thus for more than an hour and q half
the life and death game was kept up with
cut minutes intermission, and without
any sign of weakening on either side Then
we perceived that the rattle's strength
seemed to be giving way, and all of a sud
den he coiled himself up and Law still as IL
to die. Whether it was from sheer exhaus-
uon or only ruse to deceive his enemy
faint or feint we We're not sure we
thought it was the former but blacky evil
IDENTIFY thought otherwise. He understood
his enemy better than We did and did NOT
mean to be tricked. Down he Law nv the
side of the PROSTATE victim, but with his
teeth firmly set in the now torn and cr1m
pied throat. '''i
Then, after a quiet interval the opa-
sided truce having come to an end or the
ruse having failed, the rattle rose again and
resumed the unequal struggle with the en-
ersy OF desperation-a supreme struggle for
NE. AGAIN he reared and rolled and eoilad
ana aarted up and down, forward and back
ward, carrying his enemy with him in all
ms contortions, trying by every conceiyable
TWIST to get his fangs into the merciJess
zoe, Dut all in vain. Then we began to see
IN the poor victim renewed signs of fajline
strength; but, Notwithstanding incress
weakness. he struggled for a time confin
uousiy, and then intermittently, until more
than two hours and half after the first
attack, the poor rattle gave up the contast
ana lay down to die. This time II was NJ
ruse. The poor fellow was done for anS
witnm ten or fifteen minutes after The
mute surrender he yielded I'M the Ghost
But even then blacky still stuck and II
WAS not untu the corpse began to stffren
that ne for the first time Withdrew the
nails which he had driven nearly three
hours before into the sure place-the throat
OF the unhappy rattle
Ihen. the tragedy being ended the conn
eoy began, and comedy indeed it was. at
any rate TO the two spectators On the
part OF the victor there was no sign of
triumph. no dancing around the PROSTATE
enemy, but. with all possible staidness and
straightforwardness. the hero prepared for
the celebration Of his victory. He began