New-York tribune., 1903-06-28

He was a game snake and ready for the DEAL out
against the lone hand he was playing there was d
hand of stacked cards. His fiat head was polseo
above the fat coil his mottled, sunburned body
made His little black eyes glistened defiance and
hate and the spiteful dart of his pink. forked
tongue as it flashed out and in, was an assured
guarantee of his eagerness to sink his fanss INTO
his tormentors.
"A rattesnake at bay is sight never to be for
gotten. especially if he is game snake for there
are rattlers who are 'quitters No one along the
schaghtcoke range knows rattlesnake nature better
than George Coggswell He saw the opportunity
to show rattlesnake at his worst.
Now watch him close said 'Cogg,' and then
he proceeded in a manner, born of long experience,
to the snake.
They're a good bit like human bein's.' re-
marked the old snake hunter, he rubbed the
fork over the rattlers head. Keep tormentin' a
ratter and he'll commit suicide just like some
folks when they get in trouble and despair
The rattler would seize the fork in his mouth,
and then, when some other fork prodded him in
the back he would loosen his fangs, only to dart
them at the last tormentor
Keep your eye peeled now. He's a-gettin' des-
perate. Watch him kill himself I've the
devils do it many a time, said 'Cogg.' as he con-
tinued his torment of the rattIer.
Then suddenly the rattler ceased his exertions
q Now" exclaimed 'Cogg.'
The snake quivered from his fiat head his now
silent rattle 1t convulsve little quiver. The
scaly skin drew over the glistening. beadlke eyes
the neck arched itself into graceful curve, and
then, like flash, the diamond shaped head shot
like a dart at the body. and in a second the fangs
OF the rattler had dealt the blow that killed him.
And the tail of the rattler did not wriggle when
the body touched, like the tails of the snakes
we had killed.
No, they never do explained 'COgg.' When
they kill themselves they dead all over and
their tails don't wait till the sets back o the
ridge before they die
While the party OF snake hunters sat down for
a rest 'Cogg related little rattlesnake lore
. I've seen them kill themselves when they'd get
in fights with other snakes. too he said
' One day, back about twenty years ago when
l was working along this side of the range I saw
a rattler-just about the size of this one-and n
hlacksnake fightn' a duel They were right down
at the foot of a rock and I climbed up on ton og
the rock to watch them. They were so busy that
they didn't see me. and for ten fifteen minutes
l watched them. The ratter coiled IN and
seemed TO be trying to get a chance 10 strike the
backsnake. Every once in a while the black fellow,
would run right the rattler. and I guess he
must have bit him in the neck when he did this
for after while the rattler's neck dropped lust
as If II was broke. When the bla cksnake saw this
he gave the ratter good bite right through the
head and finished him
seldom do find any rattlers on the east sid.
of the Eousatonic River. You sec, they amt water
fnakes and won't the river II you throw n
1atter in the water. of course he'll swim the best
he can. but he won't go in the water himself 7
have often noticed them going through the grass
when 1t is wet They always hold their tails high
as hlgh up as eight inches. They do tina,
SO they won't get the rattier wet II they got IL