there are several species of rattlesnakes found in california, among which are the black, spotted and striped. some of them grow to an enormous size and are anything but pleasant strangers to encounter, especially when you come upon them suddenly and find them coiled. it is a peculiarity of these specimens of the crotalus of america that they strike only from the coil, are easily killed, and generally, although not always, do they rattle before they dart forward their poisonous fangs.
we can conceive of nothing upon the face of this beautiful earth more shudderingly repulsive than a rattlesnake. the arrowy head, and shiny, flabby body, with its glistening scales and variegated color, its tapering tail, with that dreadful arrangement by which it imitates so closely the whirr of the locust, the bead-like eyes, with no lids and a fleshy film dropping over them—all these make up the most terrible reptile found on the american continent.
and then imagine one of these creatures coiled! the thick, heavy body with the tail projecting upward from the center, the head drawn back, and the red, cavernous mouth open, with the curved, hollow teeth and the sacs at their roots filled nigh to bursting with this concentrated essence of the vilest of all poison—imagine this, we say—but don't do it either! if you have never seen a rattlesnake, don't go near one, unless you have a chance to kill it, even if his fangs have been extracted. the heel shall bruise the serpent, and that is the best use to which they can be put.
but as howard lawrence opened his eyes, in the dull light of this summer morning, he saw coiled within five feet of him a striped rattlesnake, its intensely black eyes fairly scintillating light, and its rattle gently waving but making no noise.
in a single second his true peril flashed upon him. if he moved the reptile would strike. he might throw himself suddenly backward, but in that case if he escaped, the malignant fangs would be buried in the sleeping elwood ere he could open his eyes and understand the danger that threatened him. and he was afraid, too, to speak to him and tim in the hope of awaking them. there would be blundering upon their part, and blundering meant but one thing—death.
howard looked straight at the serpent's eyes and became conscious of a strange sensation passing through him. the small, black orbs seemed to advance, shrink and float away through the air, enchaining his own vision until the will, which had so vehemently repelled the danger grew indifferent, and the thought of peril merged into a vague, dreamy semi-consciousness, which, while it took knowledge of the terrible reptile, coiled and ready to strike, yet failed to impress the mind with the energy to withdraw from its terrible power. his blood slowly chilled, as if vein by vein it froze throughout his person, until from head to foot the vital current was congealed. at times he strove to move, or more properly sought, in the mysterious make-up of our composition, to rouse the will from its torpor, but with the same result as follows the effort of the sufferer to use his paralyzed limb. the will seemed to make a feeble twitch or two and then subside, unable to break the fatal spell spreading over his mind and faculties. the eyes of the reptile glared upon his own, their bead-like blackness taking the form of a point of fire waving, floating, gyrating and circling in the air, doubling in and out in rings of the rainbow's hues, melting away into the distance, then drifting forward until mingled with his own, up and down in the same bewildering maze of color and design that visits the patient when lost in the delirium of fever. and all the time it was as if the rattlesnake was conscious of the dreadful power he held over his victim. its arrowy head and long neck were started silently toward him, as if threatening instant destruction; and then, like the cat toying with her victim, it was withdrawn again, and the spell deepened and increased. a strange whirl passed through the mind of the boy. by a violent attempt to call in his wandering thoughts he gathered an idea of the mortal danger impending over him, but he could not centralize his mental powers.
the bewildering sensations were somewhat similar to that of a man whose brain has received a violent concussion—the mysterious chambers and channels through which thought forced its way were choked up and the subtle impetus recoiled, powerless to perform its function. he felt the necessity of clear, vigorous thought, but his dull brain would not work—the cold incubus upon it chilled it through and through; and all the time the malignantly beautiful reptile was partly coiling and uncoiling, the articulated ring giving a faint rattle, as if caused by the slight vibration of its body. after a while the serpent lay still, but never once was its eye removed from its victim. it was growing tired of dallying with its prey and was making ready to strike. the coil became close and compact, the rattle rising from the center, and the eye assumed a clear, metallic sharpness that appeared to throw forward its fateful rays into his own. he saw that the sport was done and the snake was ready to strike; he strove to move, but could not; he essayed to speak, but the words choked him unuttered. he saw the reptile calling in its strength and——
"quick, howard, draw the blanket over you! he can't strike through that!"
the practical, energetic words of elwood brandon, whom he had imagined asleep at his side, broke the dreadful spell that had enchained howard. he felt the mist pass from his eyes, his mind threw off the incubus which had borne it down, and he was himself again, with clear mental powers.
his right hand lay upon the thick blanket, and sensible of his extreme peril, he quickly closed it, grasping the edge firmly, and then threw himself over upon his face and against his cousin, but covering both their bodies at the same instant with the heavy, closely-knit cloth.
at the very moment of doing so the angry locust-like ring of the reptile and a sharp thrust against the blanket as if struck by a small stick announced that it has given its blow.
howard and elwood both shouted to tim to come to their assistance; but ere he could respond a rush was heard, followed by a fierce growl, and they understood at once that terror had appeared upon the scene.
they let him rage for a few moments and then, tim having informed them that the snake was "kilt entirely," they cautiously crept forth. as they looked furtively around they saw at once that the newfoundland had done his work well. the reptile was torn into shreds and strewn over an area of several yards. its fangs had entered the blanket where, while they did not pierce through they stuck irrevocably, holding the reptile a prisoner to the fury of the dog.
thankful indeed were the boys for their providential escape from this dreaded creature. elwood had been awakened by its slight rattling, when, suspecting the danger that was closing around his cousin, he uttered the warning words which we have given and which proved the means of robbing the blow of the reptile of its danger.
the fangs were carefully extracted from the blanket, and howard declared his intention of preserving them as a curiosity; but within a half-hour after leaving the camp they were lost, and he did not judge it worth while to search for them.
