Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1877-09-06
A Thrilling Snake Story.
Told by Very Conscientious
Young Man.

man as he glanced at the placarc
pasted in the car in which he wa
riding. "Dear me, how sad tina
such warning should be necessa
| ry in a Christian laDdl"
"Yes, sir" said a young mar
next to him; ''but It's best to bt
careful, for there may be pick
pockets in this very car. | know
all about that, sir. I've been res
cued from the lowest depths.
was pickpocket once, sir"
"Dear me, said the old gentle
man, starting.
"l'm respectable person now
Yes, sir, I'm very respectable
Ask anybody about Jim Tilks,
and they'll tell you that; but ]
was brought up a thief. 1 was
born among thieves, and took to
the trade naturally, and I used to
pick pockets when I was ten
years old. You needn't to look
at yours. If you please, sir, I've
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 I was
sitting waiting for any old lady's
reticule, or any forgetful persons
parcel, or even an umbrellas or
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 a 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 gen.
tleman with long basket. 1t
was the curiousest basket I ever
saw. Had two handles aud
paddock. Never saw such a bas-
ket. There was a cord about it,
too. He put 1t down in the corn
er as he looked for bis pocketbooG,
and be spoke to a gentleman who
was stan ling hear, and seemed to
know him.
Scot it, he said, and it's cost
me enough, | can tell you. But
| wanted it for the collection
couldn't do without it. So proud
of it | brought it along myself.
Wbew! five minutes only, and l
haven't any ticket, and be pushed
toward the Office.
1.-The other man looked at the
basket a minute aud then walked
away, and that was my time. !
crept up to the basket and took il
up and walked away in another
direction. Nobody noticed me.
| didn't run, of course. / Just
went out of the station and down
under the trees, and what / meant
to do was to take the vaIuables
out OF it and leave it there.
"Pd 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
tn, paddock and unlocked that
and lifted up The cover little. |
Just then there was noise and |
| turned my head.
"When | found it was nothing |
to be afraid OF | turned back. | |
opened the cover wider and peep. |
ed in, but there was nothing there;
the basket was empty-not
thing in it.
"'Why, gracious mel says I;
only not in those words-I was
wicked sinner then-'what does
this mean? An empty basket |
And what did he mean by talk.
ing of its being valuable?' And
there / was running risk for
nothing. A risk. was done
for, for nothing; for here were the
police after me, at least a big arm
went round my waist. all OF a sud.
den like, and when / .jerked, it
only held me closer; and what
was that another arm?
"Well, sir, thought / should
give up just that minute, for then
and there knew that what was /
twisting about me was something
worse than even a policenlan's
arm to such as / was then.
1T was a snake-a great snake
the kind they have in menage-
rles. Boa constrictors-yes, sir,
TINT ru.la thn LinA