The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-11
AN INEBRIATE RATTLESNAKE.
Reptile Got Too Chummy ard Was
Cured of the Booze Habit.


Now that the weather has warmed up,
rattlesnake stories are the order OF the
day. writes a Helena (Mont.) correspond
ent The experience last week OF a Miles
City sheep herder who essayed a nap be-
side a sage brush which also happeped
TO be the rendezvous OF a rattler, ard
who, in an effort TO Offset the effects OF
the bite he received by emans OF whisky
absorption. with the result that he fell
from his horse while en- route 10 the Gus
ter County metropolis. recalls an expert
ence Of a herder in the norther part OF
this county. The Custer County herder
is doing nicely and will recover from the
effects Of both the bite Of the rattlesnake
and the fall from HIS horse.
About year ago. said the local herd
er. Il was herding a band over on the
Dearborn River. in a country where rat
tlesnakes are thicker than holes in a
prairie dog town. Well. one night I
made trip to Craig. where they sell
booze that is surely penetrating. and
came back TO camp next morning with
hide full AS soon as I got the band
out I lay down under a scrub pine tree
TO take a snooze. Some time after the
sun got high l was awakened by some
thing striking at my hand. and, opening
my eyes I saw a big rattier coiled up
by my side.
Il was pretty well picked by the red
eye had been drinking, and watched the
snake stupidity as It sunk its fangs into
my hand two or three times Go to It.
old man. 7 muttered. being too lazy to
move, and thinking the booze would XII
the effect Of the poison. The snake took
another peck or two at my arm, and each
time he would smack his lips. Once or
twice I thought be seemed to grin and
wink. and finally he uncolled and began
going through some OF the darndest evo-
lutions a snake ever performed
He'd travel around in a circle. both
backward and forward, as fast as he
could, and arch his back and try TO buck
like a broncho.
He'd travel around In a circle and then
whisk Off TO do some more stunts. Final
ly the thought began 10 percolata through
my mind that that snake had got enough
| whisky out of my hand when he bit me
TO get a souse, and sure enough he had a
beauty. Now, never care much for rat
tiers but some way this reptile with a
jag appealed to my sense Of humor Here.
old sport said I. have another with me.
! and I held out my hand toward him
Well. sir. that snake understood that
was setting them up. and he came up on
the jump and took a nip at my hand.
| throwing back his head afterward as II
he enjoyed feeling the liquor trickle down
/ his throat.
Il went 10 sleep again, but when came
| TO there was the rattler coiled up against
me as friendly as could be. When I woke
him up he seemed kind Of dizzy and did
not move his head very quickly. saw he
felt about like did. and the bond OF
sympathy was cemented right there. All
| the rest OF that summer the snake
camped with me. and he got to be a reg
ular booze fighter would pour a few
drops on my boot. and he would bite into
It to get a drink.
While I was out herding he would coil
up around the jug that kept In my tent.
and. while he couldn't open Il, he would
see that no one else did while 1 was gone.
Along toward fall the habit got 50 strong