The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1877-07-07

woman were near crazy, N comes out
n puts on my boots. A little yallar dog |
mad were in the field, an he tackled the
snakes. Fore he got through with 'em
ne were swelled up like bladder, he
were SO full O. pizen. / thought, o
course, he were as good IS dead. But he
stuck to 'em till they war all three killed.
Then he struck line for a swamp hole
close by, where the mud were black as
tar. He buried hisself in that, all but
his head. Think, ses /, that won't save
you, old chap, n left him there. That
night he came home as well as ever. He
got bit many time after that, an every
time he'd go for that swamp hole N
bury hisself, and come out all right. He
were a smartdog, but one day he thought
he could git away with bar It he come
cross n the woods with young Jerry, n
the bar gin him one swout, N put him
whar black mud want no service to
him.
Its funny, but faint often you run
cross many O. these snakes along the
creek or in the woods. Fire in the
woods destroys lots O. rattlesnakes. We
used to have a regular snake-ketcher in
this section. His name was Sam Helms.
He knowed every den there was in Pike
County, n want no more 'fraid to 90
into one than you are to eat your dinner.
He carried forked stick n silk hanky-
cher. He'd press the stick over the neck
of a snake, N then snap the hankycher
in its face. The snake d ketch it in his
teeth. Sam ID give quick jerk, n out
come the pizen fangs. Then Sam d pick
the snake up N put it in bag. Some
times he'd bring home a bushel O. rat
tiers, besides hav'n his pockets and
boozum full. He took 'em round the
country showin' of 'em. You know they
alters say that a rattlesnake never gifts
more'n five feet long, nor he don't. But
Sam Helms made up his mind to show
some extraordinary big rattlers. So he
rigs him up high box and had power
full strong magnyfyin' glass, bout six by
eight, put in the top for people to lock
through. This made his snakes look like
anycondees, an he made consid' BILE
money off'n his great Californy rafting
Ca-so-warys, as he called 'em. They was
ketched on my farm, N was two feet
long. Sans dead now. Snakes got in his
boots m killed him."
"Uncle Jerry, you spoke of having
seen hoopsnakes. Naturalists deny that
there is such snake"
"Who's Natur'liss He don't know
what he's talkin' bout, or / guess he
never was out this way. Amt no hoop
snakes? Mebbe fed seed me a-tearin'
down Rocky Hills with one O. these sar-
pints after me with his tail in his mouth,
rollin' along like the day of judgment,
only sight faster, n hadseed me git be-
hind big oak tree, n heerd that snake
come agin't and set his singer int so fur
he couldn't gift out, givin' me chance
to kill him, guess Mr.. Natur'liss d
change his mind. That trees standin'
yit, but the pizen Of that snake killed it
deader'n nail. That were good many
year ago, n amt seed but one or two
since. They're mighty sca'ce, N its
good thing, fur they 'em the pizenist
snake they is. / heerd my father say
wunst that he were goin' up that same
Rocky Hill, an had long stick O. black
birch in his hand fur cane. He were
bout half way up the hill, when he see
hoopsnake comm down, like a streak O.
lightnin'. The ole man hadn't chance
to git away, and 50 he squared hisself,
and when the snake came near enough,
whacked him with a stick. The snake
were comm 80 fast that when the stick
hit him he few in dozen pieces. The
singer struck the stick. The ole man
threw it on the ground, and he said in
less'n ten minutes it swelled up bigger'n
his arm! You see when a hoopsnake goes
for his prey it takes hold of horn that
sticks out'n its body near the tail, bout
an inch n half. That makes it like
hoop, and way it goes"
"What is pilot, Uncle Jerry?'
GA pilot is called a copperhead by
some people. It's ez pizen IS death. If
ever yer goin' through ahayfeld, or any
where's else, and smell strong smell of
cowcumbers where you know there amt
no cowcumbers, look out. That's pilot,
and the first thing you know he'll have
his hooks on you. kim smell pilot if he's
on the fur side of ten-acre lot.
"Thsy's a snake that Eve killed a
many of in these parts they call the blow
in adder. When you get near him he'll
fatten his head out more'n double its
natural size, n make blowin' kind O.
hiss. He's crazy snake, but there's a
mighty bit O. fire in his tooth.
"Now, mebbe it'll seem queer, but I'd
rather tackle a dozen rattlesnakes than
one blue racer any time. A blue racers
blacksnake, SO black that he's blue, N
has a white ring round his neck. His
bite amt pizen, but he gifts to be ten an
'leven feet long, n is powerful almos' as
an OK. He's ginerally found bout bush
lots an berry patches, an if he gifts after
you once an you run, he'll chase you
two mile, up hill an down. He runs
| NTH h;s hood roisod q foot or two ,hoyo