Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-01-28
But something had angered it. Per-

But something a anSeTeu IL.
haps Coombs had put his hand upon
the cold, fanged head, as he began to
feel its weight in his sleep. Now that
head was raised, ready TO strike the
hand il 1T moved again.
Il was paralyzed. l could not think
nor act. l could only look. Any in
slant Coombs might wake or stir. Then
one fatal flash of that poised head!
Had l been able to move, dared not.
At the slightest alarm the stroke would
fall-on US both. possibly, for was
within reach.
The great, ugly head began to
swing, slowly, at first, then more ex-
citedly. 1t reeled as if trunk with
hate and revenge. The motion must
awaken Coombs. Then, suddenly, cut
ting the still air with a sharp, shiver-
ing whirr, sounded the rattle.
without moving my lips l muttered,
Don't stir-you're awake, Coombs-,
don't move a muscle-that diamond
rattlesnake's on YOU The rattle ceased;
but still l muttered; Don't move-sleep
on-the beast is over your face He
understood and slept on. Not a 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 thru 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 hung over
us, on the watch, ready for any such
move.
tIf y-oc tho Inr1yyH thine fn do Inuy-
ever, and l was slowly bringing my
hand forward when there was a snort
and a clash Of teeth just beyond me.
All at once / was aware of the hard
breathing of some large animal. Again
my head, / saw, about ten feet be-
lyond us, the CLEAN Of the white tusks
of a razor-back boar. His head was
ground. He stood as motionless as
tho carved out of the black Of the
night.
1T all came over me with q flash: the
snake and a We're watching each
other. Both were unconscious of US,
who or what we were. 1t was the
presence of the boar that had reused
the snake. Now 1t was coil and fang
against hoof and tusk. They were
deadly enemies. All the fear and fury
In both was alive.
"The whirr Of the rattle started
again, and the uplifted head, higher
now, swung faster and wider. Sudden
ly the sinewy neck bent back, the head
stopped, but had scarcely poised. when,
with a hoarse cough, a black mass
shot over Coombs, tusks clashed just
above his face, scattering us both with
foam, and snake and boar rolled to-
gether down the knoll.
The spring of the boar was as swift
as the leap Of an arrow. The tusks
closed with a crunch about the neck
OF the snake; but at their touch the
thick coils flashed out and sprang in
knotted bands about the boar's throat.
Down they went. both strangling-
the boar paving the air In his n
deavor to tear the tightening coil from
his neck; the snake in it's death strug-
gle, clinching closer n closer the
one vital spot OF its powerful antag-
onist.
II never saw such a fight. It was
neck for neck-the grip Of coil against
the grip of jaws. The snake bent
itself to the throat of the boar as one
presses the spring OF a locked steel
trap, to make it loose its hold. 1t was
a furious combat, and doubtful. for a
moment, which would conquer. But on
ly for a moment. The long. hooked
tusks had crushed muscle and bone and
struck the vitals. Soon the strangling
coils relaxed and fell away.
I'VE sat there and saw the gaunt,
black beast rip the glinting skin from
the body, and, still writing, 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"