We had _two beds_, and John and myself slept together. One lovely moonlight night, after we had all retired, and my mind was resting upon the border of slumber, I was startled by John uttering a war-whoop and leaving the bed in a single leap. Being about half asleep, and thinking that perhaps the _devil_ was under the cover, I did not take _time_ to _rise_, but started to _roll_; and being near the bank of a little stream that emptied into the river, I never stopped rolling until I splashed into the water. I was then thoroughly awakened, and felt as though I was not afraid of the devil if he were there. The rest of the boys came to the rescue with their colors flying, and pulling off the covers we found two large _rattlesnakes_ on John’s side of the bed. They were swelled with rage and rattled furiously. We had never known them to crawl into a _bed_. After killing them, we moved the bed and found a hole in the ground under it. We then concluded that they were out when we lay down, and in trying to find the way back they got into the bed; and John hearing the rattle left the bed just as the reptile was ready to strike. We were always careful after that never to build upon another’s homestead. The _centipede_ is a brown-colored worm of about the thickness of a lead-pencil, and three inches in length when _full grown_. It has a great number of legs, and at the end of each a little black needle which is worked in and out at pleasure like a cat’s claw. _These_ are the _stings_, and whenever the worm is _crossed_ it sinks them. The venom from the rattlesnake is not to be compared with its effect. When they are found upon the body, the only _safe_ way is to be _perfectly motionless_, and not _disturb_ them, and they will often crawl harmlessly away; but should the person _move_ or _excite_ them, they will sink their deadly claws and run across the person rapidly, and beyond all remedy the flesh will rot to the bone in a short time. I _once_ saw the _effect_ of a _sting_. We were one sunny day sitting with some greasers upon the shady side of an _adobe_ house near Santa Fe, when a large _centipede_ dropped from the roof of the house down upon the naked breast of one of them. He struck at it and tried to knock it off quickly as possible; but in spite of his efforts it ran clear across his body, and in a few hours he died with his body terribly swelled. They are regarded the most deadly of all animals or insects in the West; and for the benefit of my _readers_ who may sometime journey in their land, I would advise and pray that should one of these stingers get upon your body, be careful to not disturb it, for the _danger_ is utter ruin.