Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-06

1 snake partly coiled upon the sleeper's body with it's big, horrid head lifted just above his upturned face.
 ''It was the great diamond rattle | snake. The beastthad worked a hole Coombs, evidently taking him for a log. Finding the warmth of the body to it's liking, it had gently drawn it. self up on the mans breast to sleep till morning.
 But something had angered it. Perhaps Coombs had put his hand upon the cold, fanged head, as he be- gan to feel it's weight in his sleep. Now that head was raised, ready to strike the hand if it moved again.
 'E was paralyzed. could not think nor act. I could only look. Any in- stant Coombs might wake or stir. Then one fatal flash of that poised head! Had I been able to move, dared not. At the slightest alarm the stroke would fall-on us both possi- ply, for was within reach.
 ''The great, ugly head began to swing, slowly, at first, then more ex- citedly. It reeled as if drunk with hate and revenge The motion must awaken Coombs. Then, suddenly, cut ting the still air with sharp, shiver- ing whirr, sounded the rattle.
 Without moving my lips I nut tered: Don't stir-you're awake, Coombs-don't move a muscle-that diamond rattlesnake's on you The rattle ceased; but still I mutteree: i Don't move-sleep on-the beast is over your face He understood and slept on. Not tremor touched his closed eyes. But the sweat glistened in the moonlight.
 ''The sound of my own voice broke the spell that bound me. A thousand escapes dashed through my thought. There was but one feasible-to seize the snake by the neck before he could ; bite. My right arm was free and the snake was within reach, but he bung over us, on the watch, ready for any such move. ''It was the only thing to do, how ever, and I was slowly bringing my hand forward when there was snort and a clash of teeth just beyond me. UAll at once I was aware of the hard breathing of some large animal.
 
 turning my head, saw, about ten feet beyond us, the gleam of the white tusks of a razor-back boar. His head was lowered till it barely cleared the ground. He stood as motionless as though carved out of the black of the night. "It all came over me with flash; the snake and boar were. watching each other. Both were unconscious of us, who or what we were. It was the presence of the boar that had. reused the snake. Now it was coil and fang against hoof and tusk. They l were deadly enemies. All the fear and fury in both was alive. q 'sThe whirr of the rattle started l again; and the up1ifted head, higher | now, swung faster and wider. Sud- l denly the sinewy neck bent back, the I head stopped, but had scarcely poised, when, with a hoarse4 cough, a black mass shot Coombs, tusks clashed 1 just above his face, spattering us both with foam, and snake and boar rolled l together down the knoll. 5 rs. s@ | jssThe' spring of the boar was as swift as the leap of an arrow The 1 tusks closed with a crunch about the neck of the snake; but at their touch i the thick coils flashed out and sprang i in knotted bands about the boar's 1 throat,
 Down they went, both strangling 1 the boar paving the air in his en- deavor to tear the tightening coil from his neck; the snake in it's death struggle, cinching closer and closer the one vital spot of it's powerful an- tagonist. T, ~+s.%rs47, .~..,- !,
 q never saw such fight. It was neck for neck--the grip of coil against the grip of jaws. The snake bent it. self to the throat of the boar as one presses the spring of a locked steel trap, to makeit loose it's hold It was furious combat, and doubtful, for moment, which would conquer. But only for moment. The long, hooked tusks had crushed muscle and bone and struck the vitals. s, Soon the strangling coils relaxed and fell away.
 "We sat there and saw the gaunt, black beast rip the glinting skin from the body, and, still writhing, devour it. We watched him, half dazed, till he started off with every black bristle raised, and disappeared in the gloom
 of the dark swamp. This head and skin is all that was left. ."-National Magazine.