The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-02-28

TT WAS in New Mexico. on the river
trail between Socorro and Mesilla,
with Jim Haskell driving the buck
board team. that first saw road run
ner. The bird had started from the
roadside into the trail and was running
with surprising speed in advance of our
team-a saucy-loOking fellow, some
what larger than a snipe, with a
straight bill, long tail feathers. short
wings. of which he made no apparent
use, and long muscular legs.
There's bird that ought to be en-
couraged by all right-minded men. for
he kills rattiesnakes." Haskell re-
marked after telling me what it was.
"If it were not for this trait and the
fact that a pair of these birds came to
my help once when | was in a bad way
my bones would be whitening in Sand
canyon to-day.
1T oegan with my being driven into
the brush one night by Indians in the
Magdal2na mountains, where I was
prospecting for silver, in 81" Haskell
continued.
Il got away from them with only the
clothes | stood in. and was pretty well
beat out before | came at noon next
day to where could see the Rio Graude
valley ahead. | was then in one of
those steep-wa.ied little canyons that
you find in sandstone formations-a
hot, narrow passage, with fine sand
under foot that ! shuffled and slipped
in as walked.
Il could see the canyons mouth when
came to a place where the bottom
dropped down sheer for about ten feet
and in trying TO make the jump
slipped, landing any way that hap
pened on the sand below, and when l
had got some breath back into my body
and l tried to rise to my feet l found
that my right ankle had been thrown
out of joint
This was pi,ing worse luck on bad
but | did not lose heart, for through
the rift ahead I could see. across the
sands. green fields and trees. adobe
houses and the blue sparkle of the
river. l needed all my courage Just
then, being faint through pain and hun
ger, duN IdIcNGQ Win IllHSt.
Scarcely had | started, On hands and
knees to craw. out of the canyon when
/ saw something that caused me to
pause and look about me as if | were
hunting for lost diamond. Along the
bottom of the canyon, in the loose sand
was mark such as might be made by
dragging rope, and it led from the
nflaa Lo = fo II
opening ahead. 1t was the trail of a
snake. big one. and in New Mexico
snake that could make track like this
was almost sure to be RATHER.
1.-TWO immense rock columns. their
faces cut and followed into queer
shapes by the freaks of blowing sand,
made anatural gateway to the canyon
and against their bases the sand was
drifted, leaving a narrow opening along
the center | had worked a.ong this
opening until l was midway between
the columns. VIXEN snake somewhere
near me sprung his rattle sharply.
For full ten minutes listened. with
the whole air about me alive with the
buzziag before could locate the sound
as coming from directly ahead of me.
Then | crept on slowly, holding myself
ready to crawfsh backward on short
notice.
with al, my carefulness | was so
c.ose to the snake when | discovered
him that | was startled all over. He
was a yellow rattlesnake. the biggest
and most vicious poison snake of the
southwest, and his color was so nearly
that of the sand he lay on that if his
ratties had not warned me | might not
have seen him then. He had d;ned not
loEg before, as the lump in his body
showed, and now, comfortably coiled in
the sand, he was in no mind to be dis
turbed.
I was too far away from the snake
for him to strike me. and | stayed.
wondering how l was to get past him.
A queer feeling came over me. every
thing else faded from my view. and
saw only his shining eyes. which seemed
to spread as they filled al the space
around.
at was the pain OF a sharp wrench OF
nv injured ankle that broke the charm
that was overcoming me. and made me
aware that | had started forward d.
rectly toward the snake. l shut my
eyes. turned and went back from the
sight Of the reptile as fast as I could.
''But l was far from being out of my
= oubles from the snake. The track in
The sard shn,xasT fi,at !, "a hod ca,,,o from,