The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1899-12-15
THE MARTYR RATTLESNAKE.
supped on Dynamite and Waited for
Pete Smith to Come and
Club Him.

Cy Perkins drove into town the other
day from Lanesboro, and saunterinS
into his favorite resort remarked that
he had the most wonderful snake story
to tell that ever came out OF the Susque-
hanna valley. His reputation for verac-
ity is A No. 1, despite the fact that some
of the most remarkable exploits of the
animal kingdom have been given to the
world through his medium. Liquid in
ducement in sufficient quantity having
been pushed his way, he began:
"Y'all know Pete Smith, that works
down ter the wood alcohol factory,
don't ye? Well, Pete won't be in town
for some time; in fac he's pretty close
ter climbin' the golden stairs now.
Pete, he's met with judgment, an ii
more'n half serves him right.
''Pete's all thunder on snakes, an I've
known him TO cut a whole afternoons
work cause he heard there was lot of
snakes somewhere aroun', waitin' ter be
killed. Pete clubs 'em, always, an he
amt ter be beat fer skill at snake club
bin by any man, woman or child down
Lanesboro way.
well. cue was COIlll
work night before last when he sees
ive-foot RATHER skin out of the brush
onto the road right in front of him.
Gee wollops!' almost yells Pete. You're
my meat Mr.. Snake Then he grabs :.
big club off the road and advances on
the snake. Mr.. Snake lays there quiet
Ike, Just waitin' fer Pete ter come up
Ie never even ratified, which certainly
id confuse Pete, who amt used TO see
ag snakes, specially rattlers. tax,
heir execution so quietly. So Pete
ranoovers bit, and makes couple O.
AXE passes at the snake ter learn his in
tentions. The snake wriggles around
some, but don't show no fight. In fac
it seemed ter Pete as though that snake
was would-bc suicide, an was invitin'
him to put in the death blow.
"'Well, Mr.. Stake, says Pete, finally.
Yer game is q new one on me, but yer
exterpination is decided on, an Provi-
dence }has selected Pete Smith as the
humble instrument of his will
"Thsn Pete rushes up and brings that
club down kersmash on that snakes
st9mraick. The next Pete knew he was
sd s. Sc for inohsqfd a TER
i in? y renowprd s5. sn ' he %as
..,,6inS-.. n. On IKE h@ ras 'tached
to a balcony Prett3 soon there was
turnin' point, and Pete began 10 fall
again. He came down so hard h, thaook
the very ground, an he deelao q he
don't know what KEEP his vit1.,s in.
There wasn't no sight of that snake,
save his head, and Pete says he distinct
~ noticed a grin on it. He seen big
hole in the ground, an then he rolled
over an forgot everything.
"When we found Pete he looked as
though he'd been stamped on by hero
Of wild horses. He was mashed ard
most fat and was disgracefully naked.
Some of his clothes was still en- him, bur
n heap more was clingin' ter thu
branches of surroundin' trees. lie WA
cut up all over, full of bumps aid |
bruises and most all the bones in his |
burned old carcass was bust. When he |
was braced up sufficient ter talk, he'd |
been marked as the biggest liar in |
Susquehanna valley only fer that there
hole in the ground and the evidences
that he'd been up in the air.
81 amt blamin' some of you fer the
looks yer wearin' at this precise minute,
cause felt the same way when I heard
the story, but there's more comm
that's convincin'. 1t seems that down
ter Hogan's quarry, bout mile from
where Pete met the RATHER, the foremen
left six sticks of dynamite in Il open
box. When he come to take n stick out
for a blast, he found there was only
five. There was a search, but the miss
in stick weren't found. Now the theory
is that that there RATHER eat the missin
stick, swallowin' it whole, snakelibe,
an was digestin' it when Pete come
along with that fool notion bout bein'
The instrument of Providence in his
head. Pete himself has got theory
that beats all, though. He says there
amt a man in New York that knows
more about snake character than he
loes, an when / seen him this mornin'
ne said:
"'Cy. I'm a thinSin that snake was the
instrument of Providence, not me. I've
ocen a murderin' snakes for 90 years.
IN it's plain ter me that when a RATHER
nvites death without struggle. like
hat one did, it's with purpose. Cy,'
20 says, lowerin' his voice, that there
make was martyr. lie swallowed
hat dynamite and then come out in the
DAD and laid there fer me to soal; him.
ic sacrificed himself fer the coed OF his
ace, known me to be the gol dangdest
r.A L.. Al
"rGism amt TO 60 unrewar'ied, Cv, fer
swear that if / ever git outer this bed.
II never XIII another snake, an that