The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-12-01
SNAKES IN DEADLY COMBAT.
Methods of the Rather and the King
Snakes in a Duel to the Death.

Snakes in Duel to the Death.
From the Youths Companion
II the rattlesnake is Justly called the
king of Americas woods and rocks,
yet his crown is not held without dan
ger, since he is hunted diligently and
successfully. His fangs are. indeed
deadly, and he wears fine suit of ar
NOR, but the deer and the wild hog
never fail to attack him, and he has
an enemy of his own still more dam
gerous to him.
Snakes may be divided into three
classes. Those which are venomous,
the constructors and those which are
neither Unless the second of these
are wonderful for their size, they Sc
cure little or no attention, and yet they
are generally beautiful in colors. most
graceful in action and often our best
friends.
especially noticeable-the black racer,
which grows to Il length of twelve feet
and makes a business of warning on
rats and other small deer the farmer
hates; and the king snake. whose mis-
sion seems to be the determination Of
the rattler.
One day I was returning from q
days hunt. at peace with the world
and myself, when I heard Il squirrel
scolding as If he We're ward politi-
clan the night before election. The
noise he made was 40 loud and so in
sistent that turned out of my way
to see what could be the matter.
I found the little fellow on the trunk
of a pine. about ten feet from the
ground. jumping about as if in con-
vulsions. He would flourish his tale
wik1ly, scold in anger, threaten an as
sault, run back little way up the
trunk, and then return and scold
again.
looked carefully and saw that his
anger was directed at a rattlesnake
that lay coied at the foot OF the tree.
The snake was compressed into ball,
from the middle of which it's rattle
sounded continuously; it's blazing little
eyes were fixed unchangingly upon
those of the squirrel.
The buzz, buzz, droned on the sum-
mer air with n sleepy effect, but the
squirrel scolded in an ever ascending
key. But for the hint of the squirrels
eyes I could never have located the
rattler. His color and his variegated
markings offered but little contrast
to the surroundings. His monotone of
noise was indefinite, and to sight as
we'll as in sound he seemed only a blur
on the background of the dark sand
on which he lay.
Was the squirrel only curious to
satisfy himself as to the character
of that strange object, or was he hyp-
Noticed? ! have often amused myself
by exciting the violent curiosity Of
that little animal, but never did a
waving or jumping object awaken
such intense and painful emotion as
the rattler always demands.
! knew what must soon follow; that
the squirrels eyes would soon grow
weak, that he would grow dizzy, and
finally tumble from the tree. hang a
moment by one claw, and then drop
into the jaws of the living death that
lay in wait. ! raised my rifle to save
the little fellow, when the tragedy was
interrupted from another quarter.
Swift as light, a form raced on the
stage. 1t was clothed in a cleaning
coat of beautiful white and black
spots: it shifted and shone like a neck
lace of precious stones, and 1 knew
the king snake claimed a victim.
The newcomer was smaller than the
rattler; it's ground color was greenish
gray, and the spots scintillated in the
sunlight which sifted down upon the
scene from the tangled branches over
head.
At the first rustic of it's approach the
rattler lost all interest in the squirrel,
which ran back into the tree
The king snake held it's bead high
and raced around the rattler in wide
circle, while the ratter tried to stink
away. The king darted forward as if
to attack, and the rattler threw him
self into a coil. The king was again
away and racing around, with a
swiftness the rattler seemed unable to
follow with his eye. The rattler was
cowed already; his crest was lowered,
his buzz, buzz was jerky and uneven,
and although he presented a very diff
ferent appearance from the sef-conti-
dent arbiter of the woods which he
had seemed when I had first saw him,
I could think of nothing but some hu-
man bully surprised in the aut of tor
turing his helpless victim. and sudden
ly compelled to face an adversary
worthy of his strength. The king
snake seemed to enjoy the situation
as cat does her cruel dallying with
I; mouse.
Round and round went the king