The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1883-07-28
ANARKANSAS Il STORY

"Ihem cert. .Ainly is big ones," said
wn"t ! to"1A for an Arkansas citizen a.
he LOOK ed at the snakes at a side show
Out at the fair.
A well dressed, digniied James G..
Blaine style Of u gentleman, who Look
cd like he couldn't tell anything bnt
the truth, was standing by. aud hear
ing this expression of credulous admira
tion was tempted to observe "Why
my dear sir. these snakes are mere
mites in comparison with snakes that l
have iseen. You see l have been a
great traveller in my time, and have
visited countries and islands in the sea,
that a great many people neve heard
Of. In n of these islands they have
snakes that are snakes, and l can tell
you an adventure hat l once had with
a snake that turned my HAIR gray like
yoI see it now"
BY this time u little company stood
around the great unknown, all eager
to hear his experience. TT must have
been a uncommon adventure to turn a
mans hair gray. Now, pard let's hear
about it," put in the Arkansan. "Well.
in that country they make it a bust
ness to hunt snakes with dogs Just like
you hunt bears down in your country.
Soon after l got there l was invited to
:oin D party just going nj on a hunt
after a snake that was the terror of the
country for miles. He inhabited q
kind Of swamp. and lived mostly on fat
cattle Of the surrounding farmers~oh,
yes. he lived mostly on oxen- it took
about ten for his dinner. The dogs
that they hunt snakes with in that
country, are of a peculiar breed. They
call them by q strange name that
means 'gnawers.' They con gnaw
worse than rats. They have been
known to gnsw trace chains in two in
a few minutes. Well We had q pack
of about forty of these dogs, and we
were all we'll mounted on fine race hor
ses for the hunt.
"a few hours ride brought us to
where the snake lived. The dogs were
turned loose oil in = pack aud took
straight to the marsh, but they soon
came out with the snake after them.
Now won't cay how big lie was-yoo
Can estimate that when I tell you what
happened. The whole pack-mark you
there were fully forty of them-were
swallowed in less than no time. The
hunters were in full retreat and the
snake hissed hideous'y behind us.
He was coming like lightning. but
they said he could not hold out long.
and our horses were. as I told you, very
fast and of good bottom. He was about
fifty yards behind and his toogue whip.
ped the air with q sound like a cannon
ball-like you used to hear in the army
you know. Now what do you suppose
happened !! My horse fell down and l
was caught under him The snake
stopped short and began on me and the
horse both, SO as to take Us down his
throat easy. 1t was then that my hair
must have turned gray"
"Wall, that was enough to even make
Collars hair turn gray-drot me- if it
don't kinder on my hair just to hear
you tell it. How did you get away
"Well the snake took the horse
down first-you see he was so scared he
couldn't move and he was on top-had
me by the left leg fast"
''Now you don't mean to say, stran
ger. that, that ar snake swallowed the
boss Z"
"Yes. sir, he took him right down
and was fixing for me, when, when"
"When what I want you to talk
!" exclaimed the rural gentle.
man, all excitement and ears.
"Vhy, when the forty dogs common
ced to show their heads through the
sides and back. You see they had
been gnawing away all the time-and
then he curled up and died right there
On the spot.
II got my horse out all right mean
the dogs gnawed him out, and the
pronounced it. the most excit
ing snake hunt they had had for many