St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1899-03-18
BOYS FIGHT WITH SNAKES.
The Thrilling Adventure Of Brave
Youth In the LOuisiana
Dackw0Ods.


Jana. His father had recently pur-
chased a sawmill and lumber prep
| erty in that district, and Jack thought
it capital idea .hat he should accom-
pany Mr.. Casey. The engineer. who had
undertaken to open the business.
Mr.. Casey divided his men into gangs
and sent them out to familiarize them
selves with the woods and to report on
timber lands. With Jacks assistance
he felt equal to the task of getting up
steam. Scarcely had the water begun
10 bubble when one of the men re-
turned to ask Mr.. Casey to examine
some fine timber close at hand. and
The engineer left the mill. At the most
he would not be gone more than 20
minutes, and he had every confidence
ia Jack, who had been about machine
shops ever since his infancy.
The steam had generated with unex-
pected rapidity, and the quivering
gauge showed a pressure of 1l0 pounds.
He remembered having heard Mr.. Casey
say that the boilers test was 100
pounds, and he knew that the result
of the present state of affairs was a
proba bic explosion. He made frantic
dive for the open door, but as he
jumped he slipped in his great rubber
boots and fell sprawling on the floor.
His outstretched hand gave the door
rap, and to his horror he heard the
sharp click of the spring lock that de-
clared him a prisoner.
His one chance was TO open the
safety valve. He approached the roar
ing boiler and looked for the valve. He
saw where the trouble lay. The valve
was fastened down with rust which the
cleaners had overlooked. He felt sure
that he could wrench the valve open,
but as he was about to grasp the sup
ply pipe to hoist himself to the proper
level fearful spectacle caught his eve.
Coiled about the pipe was an enor-
nous rattlesnake.
With 4 frightened scream Jack
jumped backward to the floor, only to
find that he had stepped on a soft,
writhing mass. Then it all flashed up
on him. The snakes had crawled into
the walls of the disused mill in search
of winter quarters. The heat had
awakened them from the lethargy in
which they commonly passed the colder
months, and they mad come out of their
hiding places hungry and vicious.
Lying on the shadowy floor. not a
yard from him. wicked-looking black
head was lifted threateningly, and a
pair of green eyes glittered in the dark.
InstinctiveIy he reached out his hand,
and to his delight it touched an iron
bar leaning against the wall. He shud-
dcred as he grasped ii. for the boiler
seemed to be making frantic lunges in
his direction, so great was the vibra-
ton. Yet in a moment he mastered
himself. The snakes were his pres
ent foes, and there arose within him
wild desire to encompass their destruc-
ton. The appraised bar came down with
great force on the head of the snake
that had attacked him! He felt its
body yield and break with the blow.
and he burst into a savage laugh. A
second stroke brought death to the
creature he had trod upon.
Yet all the time he knew that the
real fight would come between him
and the reptile that had coiled about
the supply pipe. The creature was be-
coming infuriated at the jarring Of its
place Of rest. and was prepared to vent
| its venom on Jack.
As he approached the creature un-
wound a couple of coils and darted its
head out at him threateningly. The
willy snake would not allow him to
come within arms length, and he could
get no opportunity to aira blow.
Jack saw that the intense heat was
compelling the reptile to leave the sup
ply pipe. 1t might be possible yet to
open the valve and avert the explosion.
The gauge was showing 12O pounds.
He began to play fast and loose with
the snake, tormenting it daringly with
his iron bar, and apparently throwing
himself in its way. His wiles had the
desired effect. The great creature. ag.
gravated past bearing, dropped heavily
to the floor and began to coil for the
fatal spring.
The bar came down with fiail-like
sound, and the snake lay dead among
i,s kindred, while Jack at last reached
the supply pipe. and with one mighty
blow knocked OF the safety valve. and
le: the cloud of vapor rise skyward.
Mr.. Casey saw the volume of steam
as he returned from the timber strip.
Fearing that something had gone
wrong. he ran to the boiler-room ana
burst open the door. only 10 find his
young friend lying on the floor along
with the bodies of three great rat
tlesnakes.-Mrs.C c. +. Frazer. in Wide
World Magazine.
A Daredevil Arny Packer.
One day when the fighting was going
on fiercely and il was very dangerous TO
put up ones head to take shot train