Waterton, however, did not know what fear was; and
instead of being paralysed with terror at the sight of serpents, once
[Footnote: _Life of Charles Waterton_, p. 55.] caught a large one, the
"Bush master," and holding it by the throat so as to make it impossible
for it to bite, walked home with its folds coiled round him. He showed his
courage at another time quite as much by rescuing a little bird out of the
very mouth of a snake in a tree, as by the famous alligator exploit.
[Illustration: RATTLESNAKE.]
The Rattlesnake of South America takes its name from its warning rattle, a
sound made by some loose bones at the end of its tail, which knock together
when it moves, and so give fair warning of such a dangerous foe being in
the neighbourhood. Its bite has been known to cause death in two minutes,
and when it does not kill immediately, it produces a dreadful burning
feeling all over the body. Horses and dogs show very great terror if they
see these snakes; but the country folk are not so much afraid of them as
you would expect, for they know that it is the habit of the Rattlesnake to
glide away at the sound of footsteps, and as long as the warning sound is
heard, they feel safe. If the rattle is silent, it means danger, for the
snake is about to spring.
A Frenchman tells us that he once disturbed a mother rattlesnake, and saw
it coil itself up, open its mouth wide, and allow the five little ones
which were lying beside it to glide in, and hide themselves there.
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