The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-12-23

business was. could agure no way out OF
my trouble
The chance that any human being
would come 90 SaU4 canon was TOO re-
mote to be cgus.dc red. ana there VAS
soothing az aan1 that ] could use a. a
weapon against the aElake.-u0t q rock.
not a stick. vas 20 be folud only iae
andstane walls above and the enc sand
beneath me. Worn out win fatigue.
feil asleep, ard when awoke the sun was
SHINING straight into the canon by whlch
] knew thai Do was ln che west. au hour
o. so aizh above the mountains.
From where / lay ] could hook through
tho canon entrance. ana my eyes rested
upon the valley beyoad. ard my urlv
jliior faithful TO ..-s post co.lei asleep
in the sun But something else that I
cav, u struck me as strange that ! rad
Dot observed hetore. tive or Elk lduE
pieces or dry cactus on the sand near
tae snake that seemed .o have been care
lessly hung down co. such a way a. a.
most 20 surround ham. was TOO mis-
cradle and lsucss 90 wonder much AZ
nyihing. out my mind struggled fecbiy
over the problem az how the cactus came
20 be there until with patter Of Quick
feet and the rustic OF something dragged
softly over the sand q bird came into
my view, beyond the canon Cateuov-a
foadrunucr draEE.uE alaug a cactus limb
az long as my arm Hc cast a shnrp
glance into the canon as h. approached
DUB seeing nothing 90 alarm him la fha
mouoniess figure living half uuricd In
sAid "ent on and la.d the cactus down
near the sleeping snake. A minute NOR.
"Nu second bird appeared carrying a
.aetna ilm'. and fne two then Get hrlskIv
70 work pulling an che pieces OF clr-us
a'"lt unti they hod made a connie. y
ths around the snake. This done thev
hotn SGT or again 20 fetch more ea-t.t.
$40 they came ana went until tba,. "a
maze ring Of cactus limbs three-seo-
ei"NHd the ratiler without ar6uslr- ~,
from his sleep.
The birds a. last seemed IN ,n.,,t, a..
they bad cactus enough for their D-r-,....
ana instead % fetching more tha, ~.
-" q IoH the outside plecos forming
~. 'lhs over upon thc inside The circle
narrowed fast and tre cactus fe-,e -.
higher. a. 90 drew closer sf,,,,. 49,. s,'.,.@
4Ae tarroade was hair "a foot bigh -,
hin when the snake suddenly lIffea ~
mead ana sounded his rattle A. tbfs 49,.
birds hacked away and began ~ nm
around the barrcnde flaming .bcf~
wings. screaming and making felnrg N,
"tiackinE the snake. but taking coos
care 20 keep well out OF his rea.h ~
"N'iA nave gone through fire rather than
fl 20 crawl over dry cactus. huf Sew
gro! Aiines DO struck 81 the birds. his
neck and he1d bringing up every t,rna
.talrsi the tterny harricade Anrorea 81
hls failure 70 reach them and pri-ked ana
torn hy thorns. the snake with e,a-,-
stroke became more enraged. until. eager
70 strike a. something which he eos,1a .
reach. be turned back bis head 49, T.
particularly vicious lunwe. ana strT,,t 80 I
fangs into his own body.
rhis self-innicied wound took the a.,
quickly out o. the snake. His head aro,,.
ped upon bis coil. ard n a few r,ir,,..
he Jay mououless while the birds hoone5
- 100 ne oarTieace screaming ard trv-
sae snake would lift bis head ara sonra
hE rattle when they came very resr
nut ne 40 mol offer 20 strike a. t5rr,
asaln. Head and rattle ceased A. lass
- move ard thea as n satisnoa that