Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-04-05
An Arkansas Snake Story. =

"Them certainly is big ones" said
what took for su ArkansascfsfzeTas no
looked at the snakes in side show out
1t 4 the w 1ilr' dressed, digniasds5 lanes G:
Blaine style of a gentleman, wha booked
like he couldn't tell anything bnt the
truth, was standing by, and hearing this
expression of credulous admiration, was
tempted to observe: "Why, my dear
sir. these snakes are mere mites in COM
parison with snakes that I have seen.
You see have been great traveller IN
nv time, and have visited countries and
| islands in the sea that a great many peo-
| ME never heard of. In one sof these
| islands they have snakes that are snakes,
| and can tell you an adventure that l
| once had with snake that turned my
hair gray like you see it nOw."lf
| By this time a little company stood
around the great unknown, all eager to
hear his experience. at must have been
a on common adventure to turn a mans
hair gray. Now, pard, let's hear about
it," put in the Arkansan. We'll, In that
country they make it a business to hunt
snakes with dogs just like you hunt bears
down in your country. Soon after L got
there was invited to join party just
going out on hunt after snake that
was the terror of the country for miles.
He inhabited kind of swamp, and lived
mostly on the fat cattle of the surround
ing 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 peculiar breed.
They call them by strange name that
means 'gnawers' They can knaw worse
III l-prny tn
gnaw trace chains in two in few min
forty of these dogs, and we were all we'll
mounted on fine race horses for the hunt.
"a few hours ride brought us to where
the snake lived. The dogs were turned
loose all in pack and took straight to
the marsh, but they soon came out with
the snake after them. Now | won't say
how big he was-you can estimate that
when l 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 Kissed hideously
behind us.
'He was coming like lightning, but
they said he could not hold out long, and
our horses were, as | told you, very fast
and of good bottom. He was about fifty
yards behind and his tongue whipped
the air with sound like cannon ball
like you used to hear in the army, you
know. Now what do you suppose hap
pened? My horse fell down and 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 work on my hair ust to
hear you tell it. How did you get
away"
swell the snake took the horse down
frst-you see he was so scared he couldn't
move and he was on top-had me by the
left leg fast" Z SO
"Now you don't mean to say, stranger
that that ar snake swallowed the hoss?"
eyes, sir, he took him right down and
was fixing for me, when, when"
"When what? / want you to talk
quick" exclaimed the rural gentleman.
all excitement and ears.
"Why, when the forty dogs commenced
to show their heads through his sides and
back. You see they had been gnawng
away all the tin1e-and then he curled
up and died right there on the spot
81 got my horse out all right mean
the dogs gnawed him out, and the natives
pronounced it the most exciting snake
hunt they had had for many years"
See here, my friend, l want you to-
come home with me-what's your name,
anyhow? What was you, and"
But ere the Arkansan could get an
answer, the graybearded man had
vanished in the crowd, and was next
seen paying for a years subscription to
this highly moral, edifying and corscien-
tious journal.-Modern Argo.