The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-09-09
TOLD As 4 TRUE STORY.
ali itindn OF Snnkrs Found I'm n IIissiug Con-
NcntiOn by sober, Upright Man.
CromcqA "a, Pa Letter to Philadelphia Tlmes.)

| Ali hindH OF Snnkrs Found In a Hisaiug Con-
| HcntiOn by IL sober, Upright Man.
! tromcQ "a, Pa Letter TO Philadelphia Times.)
10 the southwest of this town, perhaps
tive miles or more, there lies range of
hills as yet stranger to tho peaceful
plow. Between them some of the
streams L have described play in the
changing sunlight, laughing as musical
~ as children laugh in the hcyday of
th"!r happy youth. My purpose whom
the ovcrhanging bushes would not pre-
vent and where they would drop the old
fashioned hook beneath tho logs where
the trout love to lie. / had been warned
that the stream [ meant to follow was on
the sunny side of the hill, and that
would most likely encounter few rat
tlcsnakes and coppcrhcads, to say moth
ing of the black "runners" and "gar-
tcrs" with which these uninhabited
places abound. But / laughed at these
warnings, and with pair of high topped
boots to guard against serpent fangs,
| started out on my search for adventure
and trout. Three beauties had found
their way into my basket when my first
experience began. just across from
where / stood the bushes grew in tangled
confusion close to the streams very
edge, and rustling noise in these
caused me to remember the warning I
hal received. At that moment / felt an
energetic tug at my line, however, and
immediately forgot all else in my desire
to land the fish thai L knew was there.
In moment or two this was accom-
plishcd, and had time to think of the
bushes again. Glancing in that direc-
ton J. saw sight that gave me series
of cold chills, and caused me to wonder
for moment whether it wouldn't have
been money in my pocket, as Artcmas
Ward says, if [ had never been born.
What / saw appeared to be conven-
ton OF snakes wrangling over the tom
pcrancc plank prior to its insertion in
the State platform. 70 tho left of the
blackberry bushes was clear spaco of
sand and pebbles, and that was evident
ly the convention hall. There was not
any regular order of business apparently.
When snake felt like making motion
he simply made it, and if there wore any
other motions in the way tho strongest
one was recognized There were rattle
snakes, black snakes, striped snakes and
copperhcads, and to this day [ can't help
iancylng that there were boa constructors,
! too. Whichever way / turned my head
| saw them assembling, as though in
answer to roll call, Kissing, wrigglinQ,
rattling and crawling in holes and out,
under each other and over, until the
whole place seemed actually alive with
snakes. And / hadn't had a drink for
months, either. How long they would
have sat there [ cannot tell, but an i'm
pulse on my part to get away caused me
: to break a twig under my foot, and then
there was partial stampede. Have you
ever seen rattlcSnake in the attitude he
assumes when listening or getting ready
to strike ut something that has disturbed
his peace? If you haven't, you've got u
sight to witness that will make your
blood run cold. OF those that did run
at the noise | made one was an enorm-
ous rattlcr, from four to five feet in
length. | could not count the rattlcs on
his tail, but am prepared to swear that
they numbered twenty at least When
lay where every movement could be
seen. Quick rs lightning he raised his
head at least SIX inches from the ground.
SWaycd it from side to side, while the
lower portion of his body seemed to curl
itself uncOnsciOuSly round and round
within itself without disturbing the head
until he lay III striking attitude, his head |
gently SwaymS and his rattlcs making
the gentle sound which the snake makes |
before he Is certain the intruder is IN !
enemy. The big, flat head, the thin |
neck, the small but glittcring eyes and |
the nolSclcSS 8waying Of the agile body |
OF Il rnttlcSnakc present the most odious |
features of the snake tribe in their most |
odiOuS form.
/ didn't stay Mt that spot long, because
1t wasn't comfortable. a fellow doesn't
need to he i'll perpetual cold pcrspira-
ton in order to thoroughly enjoy fish
ing, but somehow he can't help feeling
that way with II score of snakes near
him, although tcn-foot stream does
flow between. AS | moved down the
stream, the big fellow ratified and push
cd out his tongue, but he never moved
M inch. The only pcrccptible motion
was one Of the head, which enabled him |
to see mo better Cs l moved away, and |
this he kept up until | passed out of
sight. There was no regret, 1 may add, |
on either side as we badc each other |
farewell.
Old wOodsmcn tell me that there is
nothing unusual in such an aSscmblage
of snakes. Although they arc at per
pctual war with man, they somehow
manage to live on terms of general good
Snaltcship themselves. 1t is alleged that
u sympathetic coppcrhcnd will carry
healing herbs to II wounded RATHER, al
though these species sometimes meet in
the iicrccat and most deadly combat; but
proof Of this is not in the writer's mem
Ory. J do know, however, that on fish
ing and hunting excursions ] have re-
pcnicdly encountered two, three and
even four different kinds of snakes within
as many rods of each other. Whether
they were unconscious of the company
they were in / cannot tell. Frequently,
when no weapon was available, [ have
not paused to inquire.