The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-06-06


play cards during the evening.
after some Of the snake stories our
friends along the way seem to
think entertaining TO us. Some
Of them are pretty weird ard
scary. and . few are downright
lies, but who are We to distinguish
which enc IL correct
Every once In q while. Just to
rcsssure ourselves. NE pin down
some old timer and ask for the
truth. Each time. of course their
stories are the same
snake Remedies
There are . 10, Of rattiesnakes.
but few people are hitten by them
and the death rate from their
stings 4. practically nil In fsct.
the men in Fort Benton could
not remember anyone dying from
snake bite.
There are. of course. many
remedies. such a. drinking q whole
bottle Of whisky. which rrohs-
bly, serves more 10 make the
victim forget the bite than any
thing else. Another Is to tie q
plug OF tobacco over the bite after
cutting II and sucking the poison
out. Our belief IL that anyone
who ever pulled through those two
treatments is just plain tough and
wouldn't have died anyway.
The common-sens way IL 10
carry small snske-hite hit
which will fit In a vest pocket and
Is almost a hundred per cent per-
feet. II Is interesting TO note
that despite the number Of re-
ported snakes around. we have
been on tho river nine days and
haven't seen anything but bun
snakes. plentiful hut harmless.
Watch Beavers
That night We sat on the river
bank in front OF the ranch house
and watched and listened 10 the
beaver playing up and down the
river. Some Of them would come
up almost TO US and then when
they saw us they would slap their
tails on the water and with a great
splash disappear.
We counted four in our limited
vision and all were sleek and fat.
1t is against the Law To trap them
in this part OF the country unless
II can be shown they are doing
damage to the ranches. but there
is still a good deal OF Illicit traf-
ficing in eontraband furs.
Game wardens are scarce. and
usually come down the river only
once a year early in the spring.
Then they do round up n few
trappers, but most Of them are
gone by that time. However. the
beavers are increasing and there
Is evidence OF their industry on
every bottom along the upper
river.
storms Are Vicious
Determined To make UP some Of
our lost time. we started out this
morning under threatening skies
in an effort To round the Great
Bend OF the Missouri. As unisi, II
was useless tn plan such run.
An hour after leaving the Bar
rett ranch the sky began 10 dark
en- TO the east and we could hear
the dull roll of thunder In the
distance. These storms coming up
as the" do against the wind are
extremely dangerous to nnall craft
on the river. Coming up against
the wind they are slow In their sd-
vance, although the black clouds
seem to be rolling over one an
other.
Just before they strike. the wind
dies down and there IN q dead
calm. eerie In Its silence and the
peculiar copper coloring Of the air.
Then. with almost the force Of
the wind strikes from
the direction Of the storm and no
small boat can successfully fight
its way clear Of the csving banks.
Luckily. none Of them have
esved 20 far while we have fought
away from them. The only thing
left 10 DO is 10 try tn get 10
landing without swapping. crouch
among the small willows and
dodge flying debris.
Fearing that vas jus, what was
going 10 happen to us. we re-
doubled our efforts at the paddles
and made the ~ miles 10 the
Town ranch In just two hours
against a qusrtering wind. Warned
beforehand that We would have 10
land half q mile above the ranch
because Of the high banks. we
pulled In beside a huge old drift
tRb Gnu balf NtAf A8AART iAHA ytH&
as the rain started 10 come down.
Knowing how fast the eosilse
sometimes ftll with water, ~e
didn't even take time 70 unload
the canoe. but set of UP the road
toward the ranch buildings jus,
- far as ve could Before vs
we're halfway there the Fumbo
nohody knows what mud ~ until
they try 70 walk slong these Mis-,
sourf river bottoms during o. j4s,
after a rain started % stick 10
bur shoes
People 6ontsated
Running vas out u the question.
but we reached the ranch house
iust bcfor. the worst q II came
Town. thereby saving our radio and
typewriter from complete duck
ng. not 10 mention ourselves
The Town ranch. while the EGost