878 FORTY-FOTIR YEARS OP 



own hide ; which it did as quick as possible, sinking its 

 fangs deep into its own flesh. I made it bite itself deeply 

 several times, and then let it go, in hopes it would do 

 something that would show us how to cure the bite ; but 

 we were disappointed, for it became so sick in a few mi- 

 nutes that it could barely crawl under the hay to shelter 

 itself from the sun ; though as often as it would cover 

 itself up I would throw the hay oflF again. By this time 

 it got qiiite uneasy, and tried to bury itself in the mud ; 

 rolling over, and over, and over again, and turning diffe- 

 rent shades of color. Its scales would rise up, and it 

 would look white ; after which it would again assume its 

 usual hue. It thus continued changing its color, until at 

 length, turning suddenly on its back, it died ; and there 

 was not the least sign of life after it turned over. 



In all cases, after they are apparently killed, there will 

 always be signs of life remaining in the tail for many hours, 

 even after they have their heads cut off. But I feel cer- 

 tain that their poison is as fatal to them as it is to men or 

 other animals ; and I know that in this case the poison 

 killed the snake, and that it was in great agony while it 

 lived. 



On another occasion, previous to the one just mentioned, 

 I was traveling in company with two other gentlemen, Mr. 

 John House and Mr. Jacob Clemmer ; and on our way 

 we encountered a very large rattlesnake stretched across 

 the road. Mr. House, who was a famous hunter, and, like 

 myself, had a great aversion to snakes, particularly dan- 

 gerous ones, immediately said, " I will take that rascal's 

 hide off him." 



The other gentleman and myself opposed the dangerous 

 attack on his snakeship. But Mr. House was firm in hia 

 purpose ; and, taking out his knife, he cut a forked stick, 

 sharpened both cf the prongs, and going cautiously 

 up to the snake, he poised the stick over its neck, about 



