Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-10

to string their llSll on, ana tlcll one WOulu
take him by the head and the other by the
tail, and they had us nice a lish-cart rs
you'd want to see
II PET OF THE HOUSEHOLD.
"Maior," Interrupted the professor,
them fish must have had mighty big
mouths if your boys could string EN- on a
snake four feet long. They probably he
longed to the gencyus rcdibus snapperibus
-ahcm.'
They did have big mouths, professor
reiOined the major, sarcastically. Almost
rs biz us the one under that red nose Of
you'n." Thanks, colonel, | believe |
will take 4 lectlc more, for it's real good,
and in this dry town it's pleasant and very
soothing TO run across Il gentleman who
carries a quart flask in each pocket. Asl
was saving. that shake wa one Oithc most
useful pets | ever saw and the handicst
reptyle about Il house | ever heard tell OF.
Even my wife got To he very fond Of hun.
Sh'd sometimes hang him across To chairs,
making a rack to dry fowls on. She used
him to clean out the stoyepipe with and he
kept the pantry and closets clear Of all
kind of vcrmin. Eve seen him take a pin
between his teeth and run it through an
ant, a fly or a roach quicker than You could
say Jack Robinson.
But the cutcSt thing lie ever did was
TO take care Of a family of Young mice.
One day my wife was sitting in the kitchen
reading, when she saw Ben come in kind
OF sneering like, and she knowcd he was
after some She let Oh not to see
him, and after lOaiing around a little he
crawled into the pantry and in a few
minutes came out and went in the direc-
ton of the barn. She followed him and
looking through a knOthOlc in one of the
boards Jaw the strngest ] sight. In n
corner OF the barn, behind some old fodder,
was a nest with our little white mice i'll it,
and the snake was affecting them with
milk. How did he carry the the milk?
Why, he drawcd the shin UP over his head,
forming it into Il sort of cup, and carried IT
full of milk to the mice, letting each one
sip it i'll turn. When my wife hollered at
him he was sort o angry at first and sprung
his rattle, but
Hold on, Major" said the Judge. You
are getting Il little bit mixed now You
said it was Il black snake, and | never
heard Of0ne of thatspecies having rattle
"Wcll, | guess he could have borrowed
one from some other snake replied the
the major, hutily, as he sank back in his
chair, putting vigorously at his cigar.
THE Colonies SNAKE.
Talking about blacksnakeS, " said the
colonel, gracefully uncOiling his legs and
splitting a pint Of nicotine over his right
shoulder out Of the window, Il believe
that yarn of the majors, for | know a
blackSnake can take its skin entirely of
and put it on again, for I've seen EN- do it.
Leastways, to be more particular, I've seen
one of EN- do it. | was living down in old
Suanec then, at a place called Postum
Trot. | was always fond of a pet from
boyhood up, and, among other things, ]
had 4 black snake named Filz, and he was
a daisy, too. He always sat AT the table
with Us and got so smart he could drink
out of a cup as easy as the professor
there can drink whisky out Of an old gourd.
How did he do it? Why, he'd just make
a loop around the cup, tilt it up and pour
the coffee right down his throat. If the
wasn't too hot he'd stir it up with
his tail first, SO as to get all the sugar
dissolved. ] wouldn't have taken $1,000
for that snake, for he saved my little two
We r-Old boy from drowning once. You see,
Johnnie and the snake were playing Outin
the yard, and Johnnie somehow got too
near the well and fell in. There was
about ten feet of water in the well, and
he'd have been in heaven o if it hadn't
been for Fitz. The bucket wasn't on the
the rope. but the snake lowered the rope
down and followed it like a streak of
lightning. When he got down he found
my little boy clutching a loose piece Of
curbing with his tiny fingers. Well, TO
cut my story short. for it makes me merry
Gus ever nowtO think about it, he brought
Johnnie out of the we'll, safe"
How did he manage it, colonei?' in
.quiredIthe much-intercsted professor.
''Why, he Just tied himself in 4 double
knot around the baby's body under the
arms and elm mp the rope, hand over
hand. like q sailor When ] got there he
was untying the knot, and the tears were
Just rolling down his cheeks, he was so
glad to think he had saved his little play
mate. Ny wife had some hot cage tea for
both of them So they wouldn't take cold,
and the next day l gave Fitz three toads
that | went out ard caught myself, for |
knowed he deserved a reward for his
bravery"
4 KIND-HEABTED SNAKE.
But to show yOu how easy a snake
can take off his skin, lemme tell you. One
day my daughter Sally went to Live Oak
to sell some eggs. She WAS only IS and
fond of inery, like all yonng gals fs, and
nothing would satisfy her but she must
have one Of them there red sunshades
which was Just coming in fashion. When
she brought it home her mari and me both
laughed Al it, but Fnz seemed tiekled
almost TO death and stayed right by it. |
reckon the bright colors sorter pleased
him. Well, after 4 while her MARI said:
sally, you had ought TO have a cover for
it or it'll soon yet sled Fitz understood
what she said, l know, for / saw him