The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1910-03-04
KNITTING A RATTLEsNAKE.

KNITTING A RATTLESNAKE.
spid you ever see COW puncher
kill q rattler1ake with knife?" asked
the Coloiado man. when I first
went West / punched cattle on the
Sunset ranch, one of the largest in
southern Colorado. I was tender
foot fresh from the East, but no
swell head about me. That saved
me a lot Of trouble. The boys were
dead willing to nut me next, even to
q four-year-old broncho never halter
broken Among other things 1
learned to kill RATHER with bowie
knife. killed one after that fashion
70 make my standing good. but after
that = gun or pitchfork was coed
enough for me.
II have seen a plainsraa ride up
to . small sized rattler, jump Off his
horse, kick at the waving head, avoid
the strike and, as the reptile came
down, put his heel on his head. cool
" take a knife from his pocket and
dispatch it. have also seen live
RATHER thrown up on the haystack by
q stacking machine, and have seen
the men working on that stack jump,
roll, tumble and slide to get away.
They could not see the rattler, that
was ALL In the open they would
have played with #.
A rattlesnake is harmless out of
coll For that reason it loses no
time In getting back into coil after
the spring. 1t will not strike unless
It IS perfectly sure it can reach its
object Therefore, the cowboy must
get within reach of the snakes
spring. 1t can spring half its own
length, and sometimes more. OF
course. the larger the snake the more
coils, and the more coils the more
vicious the spring.
Dick Haynes was young dare
devil who would go out Of his way to
play with a RATHER. have seen him
Kill at least a dozen with a knife, ami
Z saw him when he got such q close
call that he dropped the game and
used . gan forever after. We were
out together one Sunday. IT was
warm: and as we rode he famed his
face with his sombrero. Suddenly he
clapped his hat ON his head and
started his horse ON a LOPEZ Watch
me get that pisen,' he shouted.
Fifty yards to our right was q
Fatler. It was trying to get away,
but we headed it in an instant and
were on our horses. 1T Immediately
epiled. and then saw the biggest
snake I have ever seen. 1t was
diamond RATHER about twenty years
old II had the ugliest head I ever
saw. enormous in size, and with a
mouth that reminded me of a bull
dogs Jaw. Dick stopped just long
enough to size up its length SO as to
set an idea of its spring, and then
went in on IT.
The strike came like a fash of
lightning. The snake struck the
ground with a sound like the crack
ing Of four-horse whiplash in the
hand OF an expert Dick just saved
himself by throwing his body full
length backward. The snake coiled
again before he could get to it. 1 got
4 That's the first one ever struck
At me and got back, said he, and I'm
going to have that beauty head
The RATHER was beside itself with
rage. 1t lay. coil upon coil of smooth.
glistening length. showing the long
reach and powerful spring in reserve.
Out Of the coils two feet more OF
neck and body rose straight in the.
air and above all that fat, black, ven
0mous head, with glowing eyes and
forked tongue. waving slightly, wari-
~. to and fro.
Dick stepped in again, more eau
tiously. He advanced the knife
nearer and yet nearer to that sway
ing head. ! knew he was getting too
close. but did not dare speak to
him for fear of rafting him at the
crucial instant. Dicks knife flashed
and the creature lay squirming.
headless thing. upon the ground.
But Dick'was pale.
y !" IT got me in the thumb, said he;
let's get to camp.
We jumped for the saddles ana
started on mad run. Dick rode
with his thumb pressed hard against
the saddle horn. and his knife in the
other hand.
II she begins to swell. OFF she
comes. said he
We reached the ranch. and while
Dick poured down whisky. we EXAM
1ned the thumb. Neither then or at
any later time did it show the slight
est marks. The snake had struck the
handle of his knife and the strength
and suddenness of the impact made
Dick lose his nerve. 1t was a good
fAing for him. He never went after
\ rattier again without a long IA"
r. New York Press.