Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1878-03-06

me to be ready the next morning
to start
On the second day We reached
the Welsh mountains, just over the
line of the Berks and Lancaster.
After ciambering and crawling up
hills and down deep rsvines, and
wading through mountain streams
for q whole day, with nothing to
eat but some hard tack and rabbit
Jim shot, We were compelled to
camp on the lee side of large rock.
Next morning We started on. and,
after few hours walk, reached q
cave like ravine, walled in on three
sides. The floor WAS of smooth,
solid moss. Here and there few
huge boulders were scattered. At
the further end, in the mountain
side, was q large opening which
jim said was the mouth OF cave.
We crawled to the top of one of the
large rocks, about fifty feet from the
mouth of the cave, lay down, and
remained there the rest Of the day,
seeing and bearing nothing.
was tired and hungry and vex
ed, and reproached Jim for having
taken me into that wild country tor
the purpose of hoaxing me. "Nev-
er mind" said he; "tbey don't come
out every day. If it's a nice day TO-
morrow, you'll see the queerest
sight you ever laid eyes on
Next day We took up the same
position on the rock, and, after wait
ing until noon, our patience was re.
warded.
At the mouth of the cave appear
ed u large snake, having the ap-
pearancc of a rattlesnake, but with.
out rattles. Following this leader
came perhaps a hundred rattle.
snakes of different sizes, from three
to ten feet in length. The bObtailed
I leader was Mt leasst twelve feet
long. This boss snake came OH un-
til he was about in the centre of the
arena, and the rest grouped in cir.
cles around him, the smaller snakes
inside. All seemed to be iutently
watching him.
began to feel nervous, but Jim
said he had been in the same place
alone many time.
The boss snake, coiled himself
half up, and the rest followed his
example. Then he began springiug
up and down, at one moment fiat on
the ground, aud, the next, seeming.
ly standing OH the end Of his tail,
and Missed. This was u signal for
the other snakes. First ono began
kissing, then another. aud another.
until at last it was a grand chorus
of Kisses. Then the big fellow sud.
denly stopped and waved his tail to
and fro. All the snakes began rat
thing furiously.
The alternate kissing and rafting
went on for some time; then tt Q head
snake began to wriggle and sQuirm
about until he was all knots and
tangles, whereupOn the other snakes
Kissed and ratified together, making
q most hideOus noise. 1t was very
trying to the nerves ut first. This
concert had been kept mp about an
hour, when, in q lull in the music,
thought l heard Kisses behind the
rock on which VIC were lying. Turu.
ing around and looking down, | saw
three huge black snakes, erect aud
kissing vigorously at the music. In
a minute they dropped and glided
back to the entrance of the ravine.
Soon they reappeared, aud behind
them a crowd OF other black snakes,
nearly equal in number to the rattle
snakes.
"NOw for a scene that l didn't
know was OIL programme said
Jim.
We watched them come on, kissing
with all their might, until they reach
ell our rock, when they suddenly
quoted. Then a huge fellow equal
In length to the ra,tlesnake leader,
but much thicker. advanced alone
until he was perceived by the rattle
snakes. The concert was stopped,
and the director gave an angry hiss
at the intruder. This the black
snake answered. Immediately all
the rattlesnakes fell back toward
their cave. Then We saw snake
duel. The black snake advanced
cautiously, and the two, after much
wriggling about, darted at each 9th.
er. The contest lasted twenty min q,
utes, the rattlesnake striking bis
fangs repeatedly into the black
snake. The latter, after twisting
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