The Alaska citizen., 1913-03-17

"aa=Pa Fla. and his work takes rim into the yir4iu wilderness. dense hsmmo,Hs where the sun penetrates only at high noon. which land when cleared furnishes tine earliest vege- tables from the South 10 those ot wal" and deep pur~s
 Although Nr. Bettis has spent some 1t years in following his pro fcssion. he has had but few exper. fences wi;h snakes because. con 'rar, to popular belief there are not many snakes in Florida, Re gently h. vas cutting saN palmetto when a rattler. coiled and ready To strike disputed his right to disturb fis eminent domain To hesitate or to retreat was to court death. and Without a false move he let his marhetc descend. cutting the snake'> head of and seyeriug thr snake in five pieces as the blade went through the coil Of the serpent
 That was the nearest l ever came 10 being the principal character of a funeral" said Mir Bettis But couple of years ago l had a scare which set me back in growth about ten years I was surveying low hammock when I fell something glide over my shoes and between my legs. ! iu~FeI back completely frightened. l must admit. and took positoH on d cypress stump. where tried to locate the enemy l am slightly deaf. hut distinguished the spit of snake. and musty ordor came te my nostriIs Soon l noticed tho small urdergrowth swayine and thought rom the movement that I MS IF a nest of snakes and they were heut on attacking me Snakes seemed to he all round me Occa. sioually l got q glimpse ot a writh- ing body gliding swiftly about me then again | saW two snakes at the same time Looking about there were indications that there were hun dreds of snakes surroundinc the stump ! stood my ground for fully a half hour. the sweat pouring out of every pore cold clammy sweat. had no protection against the snakes except good pair of boots
 After while things began to quiet down. and the snakes seemed ta have moved on 10 other haunts. l eot off my perch. and picking tip q stout stick. started ahout my work l had zone but 50 feet when l came 10 clearing about II feet square. aHd there were two immense snakes chasing each other about One was rattler about : feet long. and the other was d king snake $ feet long. These two snakes had been the cause of all my alarm. They were engas- cd ill hattie unto death. and had DO more thought of attacking me than had of meeting them.
 T wanted to get away from the
 
 Ny mind told me 10 beat a retreat, but my legs would not respond to the thought II was very much like d bicycle rider who sees a rut in the road and knows that he must steer clear of it. but the muscles of his arm will not act in unison with the thought. and he goes into the rut. 1 knew was i'll danger The snakes were moving this way and that way. lodging. cutting all man her of angles. the king chasing the rattler. and then the rattler chasing the king II was impossible for ths eye to follow their quick movements. They passed near me-once between my legs-gee, how I shuddered' But l was glued to the spot, fascin- ated by the battle royal before me. For 20 minutes the snakes spared for an opening the rattler striking yiciously the king trying 10 get hold of the rattler's neck The air Was HdSiN WltH OuoIt lHt DdthS of the snakes glislened as if smeared with oil, while their eyes slistened venom.
 Finally the king rounded up the rattler. The circle became smaller and smaller, and the rattler took his last stand ill the center of the clearing. coiled. and was ready for business. The king began sparrino for an opening, It would glide back 10 feet, with eyes fixed on those of the rattler which swayed it's head from side to side to ward off any solar-pleXus blow. The king would lie motionless for few seconds. and then dart forward like shot The rattler would strike viciously in the direction of the king, which would check it's forward motion just out side the danger zone. The fury of the snakes was beyond words to express.
 The rattler reposed in it's coil the king strengthened out 10 it's full length-neither snake relaxed its glare for second. One minute. two minutes, three-the suspense was telling on me. l wanted to shout. or swab down the snakes. or fan