The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1886-02-04
QUEER THINGS IN TEXAS,
characteristics of Some of tho Native
Growths.

grecdily devouring them, legs, poison
and all, no longer doubted the wisdom
and beneficencc of their creation. In
the course of my chcckered career /
have had several adventures with CEN
tipcdes and always came out second
best. A ccntipcde can raise blister on
mans body quicker than red hot
iron, and if you don't Immediately apply
a remedial poultice of pounded prickly
pear and dose yourself inwardly with
post whisky-which latter is warranted
to kill anything but an army mule--the
resultant effects may be serious. Cerl-
tipedes usually attack their victim at
night, when he is asleep and can't de-
fend himself. They are armed with
about 200 little lanccs conveniently
lashed to the toe of each foot---of which
they have sevcral-and at the base of
each lance is tiny sack OF venom. If
centiPedo crawls across your body
which he'll most likely do if you lie
down anywhere within half mile of
hlm,,.you'il have no difficulty in follow
ing his trail, and you'll remember his
visit for weeks. No man ever died from
the bite of centipede, but I have
dead.
Tho tarantula is an exaggerated spi-
der. with teeth and hair They arc al
ways ready for fight and will tackle
anything, not excluding buzz-saw. In
days gone by l have often amused my
self by teasing one with red-hot coal.
AT first they would fight shy, but after
they once got mad they would attack
that coal and never surrender until they
ht,r.to onI To 7
OF any one eating tarantula. If one
bites you use samc remedies as pre-
scrlbed for centipedc sting, only more
30.
THE YINEGAROAN.
The vinegaroan has never been scien-
tifically classified, and is content to plod
through life undistinguishcd. save by
his humble frontier patronymic. The
Mexicans and Indians, who have been
acquainted with the vincgaroan longer
than l have, solemnly assert that his
bite is deadly. | have always taken
their word for it. The vinegaroan lives
under decaying logs, and, if disturbed,
scorns to run. | saw fight once be-
tween vinegaroan and tarantula.
The tarantula was lifted out of the pit
dead in one minute.
ltE SINGING LIZARD
is found most anywhere, but principally
snugly ensconccd in the folds of your
blanket when you lie down at night. He
always lets you know that he is there,
and have known strong men to tear
their hair and dance and pray in a very
undigniiird and eccentric fashion, upon
discovering that Stinging lizard had
selected them as q bcdfellow. The sting
ing lizards weapon of defense and Of
Tense is his tail, which is long and as
full of joints as a bamboo pole. When
he punches you with the sharp end of
this caudal appcndage you think of
shcol's fire and howl. The singing liz
Zard is not good to eat. The application
of fresh quid of tobacco will take the
fire out Of the spot where he salutcs
you.
THE DEVIL HORSE.
The body of devil horse is all of the
same size, and he looks not unlike q
green walking-stick sot up on twelve
other walkingsticks, six on Il side. The
scientific men who have sought to clas-
sify the fauna Of Texas have somehow
overlooked the devil horse, but he
doesn't seem to mind the slight and
continues catching flies with monoton-
GUS persistency. was never bitten by
a devil horse, and never met any one
who had been, but the natives class them
among the poisonous, and they ought to
know.
COLONY OF FIRE ANTS.
My camp was once invaded by fire !
ants. 1t was good place, convenient
to wood and water and hated to leave. |
disputed the right of occupancy with
them for three weeks, at the end of
which time | incontinently surrendered |
and fled. During that three weeks l |
dug them out, burned them out and |
drowned them out but they didn't seem
to mind it in the least. They went on
burrowing the building and exploring
the surrounding country, and when my |
tent got full OF them, and | had been |
bitten in about 100000 different |
places, | thought it time to move. Tho |
bite OF the fire ant is like the sting of the |
singing lizard. 1t hurts and makes
sore place. They increase with rapid |
ity that is alarming, and the more you
try to cXtCrminatc them the more nl-
mcrous they become. 1t used to be a
test OF courage among the Comanche
Indians for brave to thrust his barred
arm into nest OF fire ants and hold it
there without finching, while his COM
panions went through the movements of
a somewhat complicated dance around
his tortured body. They don't do it any
more. Once near Pope's Crossing, on
the Pecos river, | reached q village of
fire ants and started to make dctour.
We discovered Indian signs of recent
date, and halted to investigate. A band
of Indians had campcd on the edge of
the ant village, and a prisoner, who af-
tcrward proved to be Il bear-huntcr
named Goggin, was stripped, bound
hand and foot, and laid down among
the ant hills. You can imagine his hor-
riblo sulfcrings. We found his bones
and gave them decent burial. The
fire ant is pugnacious, and his mode
of warfare is always aggressive. In tho
aggregate, he will attack any living
thing, from an elephant down, kill him
by sheer force of numbers, and devour
all but the bowels. --Sdnderson, TeYaS,
Cor. Of the Philadelphia Times.
The ministers, it seems, trouble the
librarians ag much 40 opu otbo,. ol,c, oS