The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1877-08-31
A Thrilling Snake Story.

ihriiiins snake story.
"Beware of pickpockets !" repeated a
benevolent old gentleman as he glanced
at the placard posted in the car in which
he was riding. "Dear me, how sad
that such warning should be neces-
sary in a Christian land!"
eyes, sir" said young man next TO
him: "but it's best to be careful. for
there may be pickpockets in this very
car. / know all about that, sir. I've
been rescued from the lowest depths.
| was pickpocket once, SIR"
'Dear me-" said the old gentleman,
starting.
I'm a respectable person now. Yes
sir. I'm very respectable. Ask any.
body about Jim Tilks, and they'll tell
you that; but was brought up thief,
and born among thieves, and took to
the trade naturally, and l used to pick
pockets when | was ten years old
You needn't TO look at yours. If you
please, sir, Eve been converted sure,
and go TO meeting regular. You could
trust me with untold gold now.
"But, as said, / was thief, and |
might have been one yet if it hadn't
been for what happened at Rickady
Station, where | was sitting waiting
for any old lady's reticule, or any
forgetful persons parcel, or umbrella
OF pocket handkerchief that might be
dropped by chance. For folks that's
anxious about getting on the right
train at the right time, and nobody
to do anything but snub' EN- which is
what the officials are apparently paid
to do, amt as careful of their portable
property as they would be otherwise
When was wicked sinner used to
take advantage of that, YOU know.
You couldn't bribe me to do it now
oh, no.
"But, as said, was lounging about
there, and in came a gentleman with a
long basket. 1t was the curiousest bas-
ket ever saw. Had two handles and
a paddock. Never saw such basket.
There was a cord about it, too. He put
ii down in the corner as he looked for
his pocketbook, and he spoke to a gen
tleman who was standing near, and
seemed TO know him.
"'Got it, he said, 'and it's cost me
enough, | can tell you. But | wanted
ii for collection-couldn't do without
it. SO proud of it brought it along
myself. Whew! five minutes only, and
| haven't any ticket, and he pushed to-
ward the office.
"The other man looked at the basket
minute and then walked away, and
that was my time. | crept up to the
basket and took off the cord first, and
then | took it up and walked away in
another direction. Nobody noticed me.
| didn't run, of course. l just we mt
out of the station and down under the
trees, and what meant to do was to
take the valuable out of it and leave it
there.
"I'd made up my mind that it was
something very valuable, but what it
could be | couldn't guess. | took of
the cord first, and then took the KEY
that hung beside the paddock and un-
locked that and lifted up the cover a
little. Just then there was noise and
l turned my head.
"When | found il was nothing to be
afraid of | turned back. / opened the
cover wider and peered i'm, but there
was nothing there; the basket was emp
ty-not thing in it,
why, gracious me! says l.; only
not in those words-I was n wicked sin
ner then-'what does this mean? An
empty basket. And what did he mean
by talking of its being valuable?' And
there was running risk for nothing
ga risk. | was done for, for moth
ing; for here were the police after me,
at least a big arm went around my
waist, all ofa sudden like, and when
jerked, it only held me closer; and
what was that-another arm?
"Well, sir, l thouhgt | should give
up just that minute, for then and there
| knew that what was twisting about
me was something worse than even a
policeman's arm to such as | was then.
at was snake-a great snake-the
kind they have in menageries. Boa
onstrictors-yes, sir, that was the kind
"a boa constructor; and now remem-
bered the fact of the gentleman who had
the basket-he was the menagerie man.
I'd stolen basket with a. snake in it,
and il had slipped out when l opened
the cover, and now il had me.
"Tight, sir, was the word for it. II
was twisted around me until | had very
little breath left, but with what | did
have set up yell. Would you be-
lieve it, sir, the person that heard it was
that menagerie man. He was looking
for his snake, suppose.
Bless my heart, says he, when he
saw me, bless my heart. Well, the
biter's bit, if it ever happened. You
stole the basket, my friend, and out OF
il came the thief catcher. No, keep
still; don't move for your life. There's
just one chance for you.'
essays |, hurry, please, forI'm chok-
ing
ale did hurry. He took bottle
out of his pocket, and out of another he
took kind of folding cup and opened
1t. Then he poured something from
the bottle into the cup.
"Milk,' says he, it may tempt him
away; if not, say your prayers, friend
and | tell YOU that was an anxious
moment for me-"
"At first | thought he had done for
me, for the .uake only seemed to twist
tighter: but in minute the head poked
out toward the cup, and felt him drop
off, and saw him coil about the milk
cup. | didn't want 10 see him fed. |
went.
"But il was lesson for me. Ii put
an end 10 my course of wickedness.
This is my station, sir; good afternoon.
There isn't more respectable or more
honest young man than | am living
now; good afternoon"
"a very curious story" said the old
gentleman-''very. But he's evidently
very conscientious young man now."
He put his hand in his pocket for his
handkerchief. II was gone; so was his
purse. They had gone with the con-
scientious yonng man.
strategy Brutally Murdered.