The Florida agriculturist., 1907-10-09

bringing the beauty to bag.
jackson was an old miner who had
lived and placer mined on that same
creek for fifteen years. His first name
was supposed to be William, but, ow-
ing to the slight limp which he had, he
was known throughout that region as
"Gimpy."
1 had met him in a great sporting
goods supply house in Los Angeles the
year BEFORE had scraped acquaintance
with him and he had extended an invi-
tation to camp with him when the deer
season opened.
The first day Of the season found me
en- route for the great range near the
headwaters of the Sespe, and two days
later I scored my first buck.
We tied the bucks feet together, and,
singing him over pole, started up
the trail, carrying the buck between us,
a la Chinaman.
About half way up the trail we round
ed curve and suddenly a warning buzz
rose from almost under my feet as [
walked in advance.
[ backed up so quickly that I almost
pushed the old man from the trail, and,
Jerking out my Colts I walked carefully
around the curve in the rocky trail to
where the rattler was sending out his
music.
[ hated snakes on general principles,
and therefore took great pleasure in fir
ing three heavy bullets through the
coils of the rattler and seeing him thrash
and writhe around until he finally wig
gled himself clear of the trail, down into
the canon below.
The old man greeted me with a quiz
zical grin as I walked back and picked
up my end of the POLE
Don't like snakes, reckon, from the
way you act" he chuckled.
ct never saw anybody that did," I
retorted, as I shouldered my burden.
"Well," he drawled, as we walked
along, "I ain't pickin any rattlers for
bed fellows, nor carryin' any around IN
nv pockets, but hain't forgot that one
of them saved my live over in that
next canon"
Saved your life! I thought that rat
tiers were more notorious for taking
lives away" I said, in surprise.
''I'll tell you about it tonight" said
the old man, and then turned the sub
ject by pointing out a ridge which he
said would make some one rich if there
was any way of getting the ore to the
mill cheaply.
We arrived at camp and cleaned the
buck, then building fire, we soon had
some delicious venison steaks bro1l1ng
over the Goals We did ample justice to
the Juicy meat and the melons and the
baking-powder bread which the old man
produced.
We settled ourselves comfortably, and,
lighting our pipes, Jackson began MS
tale Of the life-saving rattler.
81 was prospectin' about ten years
ago" he began, lover there in that next
canon. [ had made my camp about tour
miles below that big bend you see and
was Worlxin' up and down the creek,
pannin' out a little gold here and there,
but not strikin' aynthing that would
cause any stampede of the natives to
this here region
"The grizzlies and lions were thick IN
those DAYS, and as used to live on deer
meat pretty regular, I carried little
sawed-off army carbine that L bought
down in the city from some fellow who
had stole it from the soldiers, l reckon
With this little gun slung acros my back,
it was out of the way, and 1T broughG
me lots of meat, besides keepin' me from
bein' scared to death every time heard
a bigger rustlin' in the brush than US
ual The creek bed was full OF big
boulders that some clOudburst or other
had brought down, and it was pretty
rough Walkin on my trips up and down
the canon.
zone day [ was comm down the can