The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-09-09
A Few Snake Stories.

day.
of they are fresh and true" respond
ed the city editor.
Exactly" replied the farmer.
"These items are both. Nobody knows
'em but me. l got farm down on the
island piece, and there's lots of snakes
on to it. Near the house is pond six
feet Deep A week ago my little girl
jumped into the pond, and would have
drowned if it hadn't been for snake.
The snake seen her and went for her
and brought her ashore. The particular
point about this item is the way he did
it."
GLOW was it y asked the city editor
at was black snake, about so feet
long, and he just coiled the middle of
himself around her neck SO she couldn't
swallow any water, and swan ashore,
with his head and tail. Is that good
item ?"
" First-class.'
"You can spread it out, you know.
After they got ashore the girl patted the
head of the snake, and il went of pleased
as Punch. Ever since then he comes to
the house regular at m@al times, and
she feeds him on pie. Do YOU think
you can make anything OUT Of that
itemP
"Certainly. Know any more q
eyes. l got baby six months old
He's boy. We generally set him out
on the grass of morning, and he hol
lers like bull all day long. at least he
used to, but he don't any more. One
morning we noticed he wasn't hollerin'
and wondered what was Up. When we
looked, there was rattlesnake coiled up
in front of him, scanning his features.
The boy was grinning and the snake was
grinning. Blmebv the snake turned his
tail to the baby, and backed lis rattle
into the babys fist.
"What did the baby 90 -
"Why, he Just ratified the tail 50 you
could hear it three-quarters Of mile,
and the snake lay there and grinned.
Every morning We found the snake
there, until bigger snake came and
the baby played with his rattle just the
same, till the first snake came back.
He looked thin, and I reckon he had
been sick and sent the other snake to
take his place. How will that DO for an
item :"
immensely
"You can fill in about the confidence
Of childhood and all that, and you may
say something abou. the blue-eyed
cherub His name IS Isaac Put that
in to please my wife.
"I'll do it. Do you know any more
snake itemsl"
"Lemme see. You've heard of hoop
snakes ?"
"Yes, often"
"Just SO. Not long ago we heard
fearful row in our cellar 1t sounded
like rock blast and then there was
hiss, and then things were quiet.
When looked in the morning, found
the cider barrel had busted. But we
didn't lose much cider"
"How did you save it p
SIT seems that the slaves had busted
out, but before they could get away four
hoop snakes coiled around the barrel
aud frightened it up and held it in to-
gether until we drew the cider off in
bottles. That's the way we found 'em,
and we've kept them around the house
ever since. We're training EN- for
shawl-straps now. Do that strike you
favorably for an item I"
Enormously" responded the city edi-
tor.
"You can fix it up so as to show how
quick they was to get there before the
slaves were blown Oft. You can work
in the details.
"Of course I'll attend to all Of that.
Do you think of any more =
"Ain't you got enough Lemme
think. Oh, yes One Sunday me and
my wife was going to church, and she
dropped her garter somewhere. She
told me about it, and L noticed little
striped snake running alongside and lis
tening to her. Bimeby he made spring
and Just wound himself around her
stocking, or tried to, but he didn't fetch
IT,"
"Why not Z"
'He wasn't quite long enough. He
jumped down and shook his head and
started off. We hadn't gone more'n a
quarter OF mile when we see him com
lng out of the woods Just ahead Of us.
He was awful hot aud tired, and he had