Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-19
SNAKES IN DEADLY COMBAT.
Methods of the Rather and the King
SunlSax Nx1nl tn

NACthOuS VI inc ItdttteT ana Vne Ming
Snakes in IA Duel to the Death.
From the Youths Companion.
If the rattlesna Ike is justly called the
king of Americas WOODS and rocks, yet
his crown is not held without danger, since
he is hunted diligently and successfully His
fanss are. indeed, deadly, and he wears
fine suit of armor, bat the deer and the
wild hog never fail to, attack him, and he
has an enemy ofihis own kind still more
dangeroasE%o him. i--QH
Snakes may be DIVIDED into three classes.
Those which art venomous, the constric-
tors and those which are neither. Unless
the second of these are wonderful for their
size, they secure little of our attention, and
yet they generally beautiful in colors.
most graceful in action and often among
our best friends.
In Florida We have two constructors es-
pccially noticeable-the black racer, which
grows to the length of twelve feet and
makes business of warning en- rats and
other small deer the farmer hates; and the
king snake, whose mission seems to be the
determination of the RATHER.
One day l was returning from a days
hunt. at peace with the world and myself
when 1 heard a squirrel scoiding as if he
were n ward politician the night before
election. The noise he made was so loud
and insistent that turned out of my way
10 see Wnat cOulQ the matter.
1 found the little fellow on the trunk of
q pine about ten feet from the ground,
jumping about as If I'm commissions He
would flourish his tail wildly, scold in an
ger, threaten an assault, run back n 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 cooled
at the foot OF the tree. The, snake was
compressed into ball. from the middle
of which its rattle sounded continuously:
its blazing little eyes were fixed unchang-
ingly upon those of the squirrel. 81.
The buzz, buzz, drOned on the summer
air with a sleepy effect. but the squirrel
scolded in an ever ascending key. But for
the hint of tie squirrels eyes l could not
have located the RATHER. His color and hi.;
variegated markings offered but little con-
trast to his surroundings. His monotone Of
noise was Indefinite and to sight well
as in sound he seerred only a blur 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 hypnotiZcd? l have Of
ten amused myself by exciting the violent
curiosity of the little animal but never did
a waving o. jumping object awaken such
intense and painful emotion as the RATHER
always demands.
/ knew what must follow soon: that the
squirrels cries would 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 / had raised my rifle to
save the little fellow, when the tragedy
was interrupted frem another quarter.
Swift as light. a form raced on the stage.
1t was clothed in cleaning coat of beau
tiful white and black spots: it shifted and
shone like a necklace of precious stones,and
/ knew the king snake1claimed a victim
The newcomer atax sg,aiicr than the rat
tier; Its ground es08er was a greeniSh gray,
and the spots scMtilladed in. the sunlight
which siftcd dowBupo&' the scene from the
tangled branches .npephead.
At the Irst rtRssle OF its approach the
RATHER lost all Interest in the squirrel,
which ran back MtO the tree.
The king snakdBheld his head high and
raced around tnteorattfer in wide circle
while the RATHER tried ITO stink away. The
king darted forward as if to attack, and
the RATHER threw inshlf into coil The
king was again AWAY and racing around.
to follow witt: IFS teA. The RATHER was
cowed already: HIS crest was lowered. his
buzz. buzz was tetky and uneven. and al
though he presepted avery different APP
the woods, which he had. seemed when 1
first saw him, I CfouIH think of nothing
but some human Billy Surprised IN the act
of torturing his helpless victim, and sud-
denly compelled to face an adversary wor-
thy OF his strength. The king snake SEEM
cd to enjoy the situation as a cat does her
cruel dailying with a mouse.
Round and round went the king snake,
and the RATHER followed the movement till
its neck was twisted. Whenever it at
tempted to turn the king would spring for
ward. and 1t was evident that the first
failure of the RATHER in swiftness would
be the signal for muscle to clinch with
venom. The king would race from left to
right and then reverse, and IL the RATHER
failed to follow that would be the. end of
him. This happened. and 1 saw the king
in the air, but could not: catch the strike
50 instantaneous was it. ,g'
There was a confusion of flying Pine
needles in Il cloud of%wiiite dust. and ,sa NJ
that two inches OF the kings coil was about
the throat of the RATHER. Over and over
they went, the kings head above that of
his enemy. and curve of his body acting
as buffer to. keep up the motion which