The Dude Had Grit

"I was once on a gunning trip cïuring the month of August ia the hammocks along the lower St. Johns river. I came to a hotel on the river bank that was keeping open for the little business brought to it by the river traffic. Back of the hotel was a fringe of pines, and beyond the pines -was a reach of barren country coveied with a growth of blue palmetto and gallberry. "Auiongthe persons staying at the hotel were two young men whose interest in the región centered in those things which pertained to natural history. Both were well dressed. Their bands were white and smocth. In town :hey might have been taken for bank ellers. One morning, before the sun had taken the chili out of the air. one of these guests, in a pair of rather gen;eel top boots, wandered for a considerable distanco through the low palmetto sernb. In his path he found a rattlesnake twice as long as the orange wood stick with which ho walked. "The chili of the night air was still in the rnarrow of the reptile, and it was an easy matter for the young naturalist to clntch the siiake jnst back of his javrs and hold him in a firm grasp with the thnmb and circling foreflnger of the right hand. Carefully lifting the body of the snake with the left hand the naturalist started for the hotel with his greatly valued prize, carryinghisorange wood cane nnder his left arm. "There is nothing else that so warras the cockles of a rattlesnake's heart as the vertical rays of the sun, and before the young naturalist had made half the journey to the hotel, the captive snake had ruanaged, unobserved, to twist his tai] about bis captor's thigh. Thus anchored, he gave an ablebodied pull, which was the naturalist 's first intimation that the snake was putting off his 6luggishness. With his left hand the man was about to unwind the coil from his thigh, but he found that if he let go the snake at its niiddle the mnscle of the reptile would be too much for the right hand grasp at its throat, which was the only eafeguard against a stroke from its deadly fangs. So he tightened his grasp upon the neck and quickened his pace toward the hoteL "The sun mounted toward the zenith and his rays becarue warmer. They gave strength and quickness to the optive reptile. Instead of a steady draw from the tightening coil around the man 's thigh carne a series of angry writhings which severely tested the strength in the bands and arins unused to endurance. With each convulsión a ohange in the tint reflected froin the monster's acales ran like a thrill from íts head to its tail, and then carne' fhe warning rattle that nobody has to hear a second time in order that he ruay know its meaning. The flag on the cnpola of the hotel hung limp in the hazy distance. The orange wood stick had fallen froin beneath the arm of the yonng naturalist. A numbness was taking possession of the muscles in his arras and wrists. He knew what th,at meant. Meanwhile the diamond mar ked reptile was warming np for the struggle. His eyes from pits of molten lead had become deep set diamonds. His angry writhings were fearf ul to see. He was venom incarnate. "It was looking exceedingly serious, noC to say desperate, for the young naturalist. Cheerfully %vould he have put aside his enthusiasm in the cause of science and cast the reptile from him, but that he could not do. The rattler's tai] was coiled tightly about his leg, and if the man had loosed his hold upon the neck and rniddle of the reptile its fangs would have made their rleadly inark upon hini while yet the coi 1 was unbroken. His life depended upon his reachiug the hotel before the strerigth in his arins gave out, and how much strength ho had left he knew not, for the irambness in them had driven out the sense of feeling. Again he quiekened his pace. "It must have seerned an endless journey to the young naturalist as he hurried along, his eyes flxed upon the writhing monster, except when they were raised for an instant to glanee at the flag hanging above the hotel ; bnt at last he was within the grounds. His friend rushert forward from the little group on the veranda, but turned aud ran back when he saw the look on the young naturalist's face. In a moment he appeared with a strong cord and a cañe, wliich he had caught up in the halhvay. While he was tying a slip noose in the cord neither of the ineu spoke, but it was easy to see that both knew there was uo time to waste. "As the noose was slipped over the reptile 's head and tightened by means of the cañe a convulsión stronger than any that had preceded it drew together the bennmbed hands which held the writhing creature, and they yielded to the force that drew them toward the coil, which now twice enciroled the man 's thigh. " 'I've got him,'said the man who held the noose. " 'Well, kindly untwist his tail My hands are a tri fie tired, ' sajd the other. "This service was done quickly, and the two young naturalists went to their rooms with their captive. "Among those who had stood speechless wbile these thiugs were going on was Rattlesnake Bob, a local snake expert from up the creek. As the young men disappeared he said, without shutting kis joon tb: " tWal, I'll be if them dudes hainH got grit!' " 'Yes.' said one of the guests. 'They're catching 6nakes for the SmithBonian institution to experiment with, ' "