As I said in the other thread the summer I was working near Butte we were looking for platinum prospects as it was thought catalytic converters would use up the world supply. Wandering about the Tobacco Roots we would get bored and sometimes tip cow pies to let them roll down hill. One very early dimly lit morning one of our party slipped his toe under what was not a cow pie but in fact a rattler cold and sluggish in the morning. It nailed his foot and hooked its fangs in the heavy laces of his White's work boots. The dance of kicking off the snake is still something which can cause me to run out of breath laughing about. The prospecting business was rather cut throat and on some ocassions some of the teams would kill a snake cut off the rattles show them around then claim to have released the snake in areas being explored by the competitors. It gives you an edge when no one wants to go out into the grass.