The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-09-24

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measure it by inches. but when it'G
comm after you every inch is a foot
long. That how one feels about
it.
Now, when the June fresh was
over the meadows, and everything
that wasn't fish was ahoat ] was
busy after ducks and anything else
worth shootin' Well, one morning
as was fioatin about, seein' more
curious objects at glance than !
ever did before or since, my eyes
rested on big water snake lyin' full
stretch on fence rail. He was a
whopper, now, / tell you. The rail
was eleven foot long-I measured
it-and the head of the snake was at
one end and the tail mighty close to
the other"
Are you sure Of that, .Uz2" l
asked, doubtingly.
Don't interrupt. boy +; that's the
easiest part of it." Uz continued.
Well. / wanted the skin of that
snake just to show folks, SO / blazed
away. | aimed at the middle of the
snake, and no sooner than I'd pulled
the trigger when all of sudden
about a hundred snakes raised up
on that rail and seemed to make for
me. came near upsettin the boat,
] was so taken aback. What I'd
seen wasn't one big snake at all, but
a whole swad of 'em, and they had
Just twisted round each other like
strands of a rope and lay there,
baskin in the sun, on that fence
rail. So socn as | had taken it all
in / laughed right out, and WASH I
scared bit then; bur, boy, wasn't
out of the woods, by long shot
Now here comes the toughest yarn
you ever heard from me, at least
you'll think It'll yarn"
Indeed | will not" ! said, very
earnestly.
You say so now, but never mind
and let me have all the say for
awhile" Uz continued, and /
acquiesced by nod of the
head.
Well, | was gain round at the
snakes that were swimming all
about, and some of 'em were climb
in back on the fence rail. There
were lots of 'em, big and little, and
every sort | ever saw about here, |
believe. Not wantin' any, | turned
of and sculled toward Swan Island
flood gates. | found there was a
big hollow buttonwood lodged right
acoss the gates. / sculled up close
to it, expectin' to see somthin in or
about it, for everything afioat then,
you know, had its living freight. i
held my gun ready, thinkin' there
might be mink or otter around,
when, Just as I was scrapin' against
the tree, down ratified a whoopin big
snake into the boat, and another fol-
lowin', and another and another af-
ter them, for all | know. / pushed
off quick as | could, but was kind O.
tangled in among the branches at
the time, and before / got loose there
were three thunderin' big snakes coil
ed up inthe bottom of my canoe. |
eyed 'em pretty close, and didn't re-
cognize 'em. They had the look of the
common puff-adder or 'hog-nose,'
as you call 'em, but didn't look the
same. They were most too big, and
seemed to be spotted in a different
way. Perhaps they were all right
and harmless, but | didn't like their
looks. In minute / made up my
mind to get rid of 'em if | could, and
lifted my scull out Of the water.
One of 'em, coiled up nearest TO me,
raised his head as | did this, and set
his tail a-buzzin' like mad. | heard
the sound clear and clean, and saw
that the critter was a rattlesnake. /
gave one look at the other two, and
they was the same. There | sa: in
the stern of the little boat with three
rattlesnakes eyein' me and not one
of 'em six feet off; don't quite re-
member just what did, but some
how without accident got the scull
back and started on. Either the near
snake by his look. told me, or some
thing else did, that if put for dry
land, they wouldn't make trouble.
Now it's a good half mile to the hill
side from the Swan Island gates and
| took a straight course, l tell you.
Big fool that L was for bein' so
frightened didn't keep much of
look ahead, and fore | knew it went
bump into a big saw log that had
come down the river. The boat came
to with a jerk and appraised every
one of them snakes fully a foot or
more and didn't say anything, but
looked at me as much as to say,
" Do that again, Uz Grant, and your
goose is cooked | hadn't control
of my scull as | generally have. but
somehow | made out to get movin
again. Luck was against me some
how, and got into tangle of grass
and brush, but didn't come to a
stand-still. One of the snakes,
though, didn't ike the sound of the
boats bottom gratin' over the brush,
SO it raised up and coiled on a box
that was lyin' at my feet. He set
tied on that box with one lap of his
coils restin' on the toe of my boot.
l didn't dare TO stir. All Of a sud-
den that foot began to tickle like and
i wanted TO wiggle my toes, but
didn't dare to. Then that leg got to
sleep. and | couldn't shift it. 1t
hadn't any feel;n' in it, ard | felt as
though I'd tumble over on one side.
1t was no use there was that one
snake on guard like, and it was evil
dent to stir was certain death. The
boat didn't seem to move ahead
worth a cent ; kept my scull goin
but it didn't send the boat spinnin
along as I've often done when chas-
in wounded duck. But / did come
up to the shore in time, right close
by the Pearson house on the hilltop,
andsomehow. everything came to me
all of sudden as the boat grated on
the sand. gave a Jump, clearin'
the length OF the boat and made for
the hilltop. 'Uz, you're a fool l
said to myself before I'd taken many
steps and came to stop. There
was free as air, vet runnin' as though
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