210 Life of a Fossil Hunter 



on the other side of the ditch, a cave with a broad 

 floor. Lying singly or knotted together in gorgon 

 spheres, with heads sticking out in all directions, 

 were hundreds of large rattlesnakes, which had 

 come out of the cracks in the earth to bask in the 

 sun on this sheltered floor. They had become ter- 

 ribly irritated by the blows of the stones which 

 Hamman was hurling at them, and were rattling in 

 chorus and striking out in all directions, biting them- 

 selves and each other. Suddenly, one rattled in the 

 high grass at our very feet, and looking down, we 

 saw a big fellow making ready to strike. As quick 

 as a flash Hamman threw himself over backward, 

 knocking me down, and the instant he touched the 

 ground, turned a complete somerset. While I lay 

 there, overcome with laughter, he turned two more, 

 and finding himself on the road, started for camp on 

 a run. I was too hysterical with laughter to help 

 myself, and lay there, while the snake continued to 

 sound its rattle and dart out its forked tongue, 

 swinging its head back and forth above its coiled 

 body. When George saw my predicament, he was 

 brave enough to come back and pull me out of reach 

 of his lordship's fangs. Then we were mean 

 enough to kill him. He measured five feet in 

 length. 



The valley contained thousands of wild turkeys, 

 and it was a fine sight to see them come down in 



