THIRTY YEABS A HUNTEB. 199 



onions, salt and gunpowder, applied to the wound, 

 and renewed frequently, is also an effectual remedy. 

 Before I was twenty-six years of age I had seen 

 thousands of rattle-snakes, but had never witnessed 

 an exhibition of the powers of fascination which 

 they are said to possess, and was therefore incredu- 

 lous upon that point. A man in my employ told me 

 that he had seen it, but I could not be convinced 

 until I had occular evidence. One morning in 

 August, about the period I have mentioned, I saw 

 a rattle-snake upon the ground, with its keen eyes 

 fixed upon a rat, which was about eighteen inches 

 distant, and advancing slowly toward the snake. 

 In a few minutes it had approached close to the 

 snake, and just as the latter was about to seize it, I 

 struck the rat lifeless with a stick which I held in 

 my hand. The snake instantly coiled himself and 

 prepared to strike at me, when I held out the stick, 

 and he bit it with more venom than I ever saw ex- 

 hibited. He drove his fangs in'with such force that 

 I could feel the jar of the stick in my hand. A 

 blow from the stick immediately placed him where 

 he would never charm another rat. At another time 

 I saw a rattle-snake charming a large black squirrel. 

 As soon as the animal came within reach, the snake 

 seized it, but the squirrel, after dragging it about 

 twice its length, escaped. I have also seen black- 

 snakes climb trees and charm birds. I have heard 

 many say that snakes of different kinds will mate 

 together, but from many experiments which I have 

 made I am convinced that this is an error. I once 



