Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-12-15
RATTLEsNAKE PRosPEcToR.
Made Signals With It's Tail If tho
Ground Looked Good.

Made Signals With Its Tail IT tho
| Ground Looked Good.
"Jim," said the oldest Of the four
miners, gathered about the evening
camp fire, "'fore ye turn in loop yer
lariat round the camp, an If 1t amt
long enough, tie mine onto It"
What for?" asked the youngest Of
the prospectors, his breathless face
looking questioningly across the Goals
to the bearded pioneer who had spoken.
WALL" continued the latter, If you
amt pertickler, amt. P'raps We like
to wake up with a six-foot rattler fer
bed mate. I amt got none O. these
yere Eastern prejudices agin snakes,
but must say don't like 'em to sleep
',itt."
The young fellow understood and
locred the lariat around the spot whore
the four had spread their comforters
and blankets about the fire. No snake
will cross rope.
STARS am concerned" said one of
the men who had not spoken, Eye
needn't spread the rope. I've got a
pericklery high respect fer snakes, an
IL one lonely rattler likes to bunk with
me, he kin an welcome"
"Yas, Bill, reckon ye've seen con-
sidable O. snakes" commented the old
man, down thar in Arizona. I've
heard tell as the rattlers thar is mighty
intelligent, an they say ye kin tame
EN-"
Tame 'em!" exclaimed Bill. Eye
don't need to tame 'em; they're tame
already, If yo' only get acquainted with
'em. Now, thar was my rattler Mike,
what l had for three summers, as
smart as any human, an II he had
known just little more bout chemis-
try, I'd we had him yet, but he crawl
ed into a powder keg. which started
rollin' down hill till it struck a rock
an that was the last Of powder keg an
Mike, too.
What tricks could Mike do?" in
quired the unsophisticated Jim, with
youthful interest.
wall, don't know as he had any
pertickler tricks, no more'n you nor
have" said Bill. "but he was jest an
all-round educated snake. He had
Judgment, Mike had; ye didn't have to
teach him. He could take in situa-
ton at a glance himself. We got ac-
quainted in a very natrul way. He
crawled under my blanket one night
an next morning, when I sees him,
sez:
"Good mornin', suh.' An then he
nodded at me, an after that we was
pardners.
1T didn't take me long to rekernize
the fact that Mike was powerfully
smart, even for a snake. Bless you, the
way he took to civilization was won.
derful One mornin', as come up from
the crick with some water for cookin'
I saw Mike had got hold O. one O. my
plugs O. terbacker, an he was bittin
off a piece, an then he chawed 1t
same's you an would. But the fun.
niest part was the way he'd shet one
eye an squirt the juice through his
teeth from one side Of his mouth
same's he'd seen me do. The little
cuss, I larfed an larfed, COS I knew
he was maxim fun O. me.
"Wall, thar was nothin' really won
derful about that, considerin' how
quick Mike was to pick up new ways
He was sinful little cuss, though, an
took quick to eil my bad habits. II
wasn't safe to Leave any bottles Of tar.
anita juice around, COS he had a way
O. getting out the cork and film his.
self. Lord, how he would carry or
when he got loaded-jest whoop around
the camp huntin' trouble, tumblin' al
over hisself.
Most amusin,' though, was the way
he'd smoke my pipe. After he took te
that habit I got him a pipe, an wed
ljest laze about the fire O. evenin's, puff
away an winkin' at each other.
But let me tell ye the real smart
things Mike could do. Ye never saw
any man as could smell color the way
he could. When I was out prospectin
I always had Mike along, uoiled about
the pack saddle Of my donkey. Wher
I'd get to a promisin' lookin spot, T6
jest unloose Mike, an he'd nose
around, an If he didn't like the place
he'd move on. But If he liked place
he'd jest coil up and wink his eyes, an
I'd go to work, an it meant pay dirt
every time.
1.-THE funniest way we did prospect
in, though, was when we'd strike
gopher country. Ye know how thick
gophers are in some parts O Arizona
Wall, Mike would 60 along smellin
around the holes, an crawl down unit
a little Of his tail stuck out. I'd wait
an If he wagged his tail twice I'd
know there was nothin' doin'; an I'd
jest take hold and yank him out. But
If he wagged three times I'd know thar
was color. an if he wagged four times
I'd know he'd struck quartz.
wall, one day we was camped in q
big ravine an 1 started cookin'. Mike
he jest lit out to forage. In about an
hour he came back, an noticed he be-
haved In a most peculiar way. He kept
slidin' round a'shakin' his rattles an a
hissin between his teeth like he was
tryin' to whistle. Pretty soon caught
on he had somethin to say, so I drops
my pots an says:
"Go ahead, Mike, what is it,?
"Wall, Mike jest slides out O. camp
Il \ &k,4 i,a IT, hon f0
that I was follerin'. I kept close be-