The new enterprise. (Madison, Fla.) 1901-1908, 1907-06-27

'' ''' Nds GSltCD and didn't
rattle And we all looked in at him,
Didn't We, Tom?"
Come and look for yoursclyeso
SAD and you'll see he's not here now"
80 they all troopcd over to nv side
'Ad pcened down into the hole in the
stump and were much disappointed to
AAd mat he Was not in it.
AS the sun was shining into the hole
al inc top, | dropped down on nv
knees to look in through the lower ori-
nee, so as to be sure whether a rattle
snake mad really lain there or not A
commentary glance convinced me that
the boys were telling the truth: for
mere on the soft, black mold at the
bottom was the imprint of his body
Even in the entrance the soil was
freshly rubbed where he had passed,
gong in and coming out again.
All right" | said, jumping up. "He
was there, sure enough; and he is not
far off now"
l handed back the gun to the boy
VINO owned it, and then said, "Will
you help me to look for him."
of course we will"
very good, The first thing to do
Is to stand still where you are, and
search with your eyes every inch of
the ground you can see"
Now this oren space was almost
clear the only thing growing in it be-
ing a sparse and meagre crop of buck
!eoerry bushes not more than a foot
IN height. If the rattiesnake were
there we could probably discover him.
FOR scme minutes We looked and
looked, but could see no sign OF him.
Thinking that he might be lying I'M
der the shady myrtles surrounding the
open patch, | sent the boys into the
bushes, with instructions to keep in
the thickot about ten yards in from
the edge, and beat carefully all around
the circumference of the clear spot.
explained to them that if they kept
too close TO the edge they would prob
ably come upon the snake, and maybe
enc Of them might get bitten; but by
Keeping about ten yards in and walk
ing in line one behind the other, the
sight of them would cause the snake
TO shift his quarters, and probably
make him go back to the hollow
stump.
In order to watch for this very
move, | myself took up my post behind
the trunk Of the fallen oak. which. rs
| have said, lay across a pine stump
that held it up about three feet from
the ground
| pulled the brim of my hat down
over my eyes so as to see the better
and then, leaning my elbows on the
fallen trunk watched constantly in
front on the bushes behind which the
boys were beating. My six-foot stick
was laid along the trunk in front Of
ne, and while | stayed there leaning
on my elbows kept my hold on it
with both hands.
OF course ! was as motionless as
If were part of the trunk itself. The
only bit of me that moved was my
eyes. If snake or any other animal
had come into the clearing, It would
really have considered me to be part
of the old PROSTATE oak or at least
natural fixture in the place, like the
stumps and tree trunks. No doubt
to the rattlesnake we were now seek
ing | was just that and no more, for
when the boys had finished their
frultless circuit and had come out
again in the clearing, one of them
al once cried:
Look out Look out, There's the
right at your foot"
I did not move a muscle. On the
contrary, bent ever nerve in my body
to keep quiet.
my feet and less must stay still" l
thought, but must see him."
Slowly. very slowly | bent my head
and looked down.
Yes, | was in predicament, for
there was a large rattlesnake five feet
long and as thick as a mans arm.
He was slowly coil!ng himself between
nv feet, the coil resting on my shoes.
Now was not greatly alarmed until
the dog ran up close by, with his tail
waving. The sight Of the dog so scared
the snake that he began to rattle 1t
was the most terrible signal of danger
that | ever heard in my life. I have
heard rife-bullets whizzing over my
head and seen them tearing up the
earth round me, but they never made
ne feel half so grave as did that snake
buzzing on my toes. o.
The dog heard the rattle and seeing
the snake, began to jump round, bark