Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-03-16

IT WAS in New Mexico. on the river
trail between Socorro and Mesilla.
with Jim Haskell driving the buck
board team, that first saw a road run
ser. The bird had started from the
road side into the trail and was running
with surprising speed in advance of our
t<nm-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
ss-, and long, muscular legs.
There's bird that ought 10 be en-
couraged by all right-minded men, for
he kills rattlesnakes," Haskell re-
marked after telling me what it was.
IF il were not for this trait and the
het that pair of these birds came to
Dy help once when was in a bad way.
ezy bones would be whitening in Sand
sanyon to-day.
sit oegan with my being driven in 70
eAe brush one night by Indians in the
AAgdalena mountains, where I was
prospecting for silver, in 81" Haskell
aontinued.
got away from them with only the
slothes stood in, and was pretty we'll
Beat out before / came at noon next
Gay to where could see the Rio Grande
salley ahead. I was then in one Of
aAose stssP-walled little canyons that
Feu And In sandstone formations
Ast. narrow passage, with fine sand
ssdsr foot that j shufaed and slipped
sR a. ] walked.
Il could see the canyons mouth when
4 came to place where the bottom
hroppsd down sheer for about ten feet,
and in trying TO make the jump I
sipped, landing any way that hap
Pened on the sand below, and when I
lad got some breath back into my BODY
and / tried TO rise to my feet / found
shat my right ankle had been thrown
sut OF joint.
This was piling worse luck OF bad
but 1 did not lose heart, for through
the rift ahead I could see, across the
sands. green fields and trees, adobe
Asusss and the blue sparkle of the
river. needed all my courage lust
then, being faint through pain and hun.
ger, aud parehed with thirst.
Scarcely had started, on hands and
Knees, to crawl out of the canyon when
saw something that caused me to
pause and look about me as if ver.
Aunting for a lost diamond. Along the
bottom of the canyon, In the loose sand.
Was 4 mark such as might be made by
Q dragging rope, and It led from tn,
place where l had fallen toward I'll.
opening ahead. 1t was the trail Of .
1naks, big one, and in New Mexico q
snake that could make track like this
was almost sure TO be rattler.
Two immense rock columns. their
Sacss cut and followed into queer
SHAPES by the freaks Of blowing sand.
nads . natural gateway to the CANYON,
and against their bases the sand was
arifted, leaving narrow opening alons
AAs center. / had worked along thia
opening until wAs midway between
SAs columns, when . snaks somsuher.
asar nas sprung his rattle sharply.
Fer full tan min Ntes listened. with
S1e whole air about me alive with the
4azzingr before could locate the sound
- coming from directly ahead of me.
AAsH erspt on slowly, holding myself
ready - erawfsh backward ON short
AetIOs.
with al my earsfulnssu I wa. "A
Sloss 70 the snake when I discovered
aSas . yellow rAttlssn AXE, she bisr.s+
'eas most Vicious poison snake Of the
oeStAwsst. and his seior was 40 nearly
Mat Of NE sand he lay on that r. his
satass had not warned me might "a Of
have seen Aim then. He had dinsS not
ssAg bsfsTs. a. the lump in his body
showed. and now. comfortably eoilsd In
tAs sant. he was In no mind to be Sis-
nArSsa.
u wss toe far away from the snake
Tor Ain to strike me, and I stayed.
wondering how I wac to get past Mn.
queer feeling came over nae, sysry-
thing else faded from my view, and I
saw esly HE shiaing syss. which sesnsd
10 spread ID they Allsd all ths space
around.
"Itwas the pain Of sharp wreneA q
any iHinFst ankle that hzehs tho sAs-m
eAas wss svsrsenizg ne. aa1 made MA
.ewars that Aad started ferwars IA.