Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-09-24

never heard of one of that species hav-
ing rattle"
"Well, guess he could have bor-
rowed one from some other snake" re-
piled the Major, tuffily, as he sank back
in his chair, putting vigorously at his
cigar.
THE COLONIES S SNAKE.
"Talking about black snakes" said
the Colonel, gracefully uLcoiling his
legs and splitting pint of nicotine over
his right shoulder out of the window,
81 believe that yarn of the Majors, for.
l know black snake can take its skin
entirely off and put it on again, for I've
seen 'em do it. Leastways, to be more
particular, I've seen one of 'em do it.
| | was living down in old Suwanee then,
at place called Possum Trot. was
always fond of a pet from boyhood up,
and, among other things, | had black
/ snake named Fitz and he was 4 daisy,
! too. He always sat at the table with us
and got so smart that he could drink
coffee out of cup as easy as the Pro-
fessor there can drink whisky out of an
old gourd. How did lie do it? Why,
he'd just make loop around the cup,
tilt it up and pour the coffee right down
his throat. If the coffee 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 thousand dollars for that
snake, for he saved my little two-year-
old boy from drowning once. You see,
Johnnie and the snake were playing
out in 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 be in Heaven now if it had
not been for Fitz. The bucket wasn't
on the rope, but the snake lowered The
rope down and followed it like streak
OF lightning. When he got down he
found my little boy clutching loose
piece of curbing with his tiny fingers.
Well, to cut my story short, for it makes
me nervous even now to think about it,
he brought Johnnie out of the well,
safe"
GLOW did lie manage it, Colonel?" in
qured the much interested Professor.
"Why, he just tied himselfin double
knot around the baby's body under the
arms and climbed up the rope hand
over hand like sailor. When | got
there he was untying the knot, and the
tears was just rolling down his checks
he was so glad to think he had saved
his little playmate. My wife made
some hot sage tea for both of them, so
as they wouldn'ttake cold, and the next
day gave Filz three toads that | went
out and caught myself, for | knowed he
deserved reward for his bravery.
KIND.HEARTED SNAKE.
"But to show you how easy 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 sixteen and fond Of tinery, like all
young gals is, and nothing would salts
| fy her but she must have one OF them
red sun-shades which was just coming
in fashion. When she brought it home
her MARI and me both laughed at it, but
Fitz seemed tickled almost to death and
staid right by it. l reckon the bright
colors sorter pleased him. Well, after
a while her MARI said, Sally, you ought
| to have cover for it or it'll soon get
| siled.' Fitz understood what she said, |
| know, for / saw him thinking and
scratching his head with his tail. AT
| last he went under the bed and we
heard rolling and painting, and maybe
there might of been a cuss word or two.
Directly lie came out entirely skint and
his skin in his hand. He handed it to
my daughter and then looked at the sun
/ shade, as if he wanted her TO use the
| skin for cover. OF cOurse she would
no. take it and made him put 1t on
again; but it showed the generosity and
good feeling of the creature, didn't it!"
"what became of Fitz?" inquired the
Major, filling up a second mates drink
as he spoke.
"Died of the measles last spring" was
the reply.
"That's all right enough" said the
Judge, "but when take a snake for
pet want snake that is u snake. |
had big six-foot rattler once, and l
don't want no better watchdog than he
was. | called him Moses, and him and
me stayed all alone in my big house one
whole month, while my wife and the
kids were at the Springs. One hot
night in July had gone to bed, with
all the windows up and the doors be-
tween the rooms open. Moses was ly-
ing at the foot of the bed. sound asleep.
/ All at once I heard noise as If some
one was trying to get in the window Of
the next room. started up, and that
/ woke Moses. lie seemed 10 comprehend
the situation in an instant. Before /
could get out of the bed he had taken
| off his rattles, left them on the bed so
as not to make any noise and was in a
coil near the door. Just then a big
buck negro entered and Moses fanged
him. You never heard such yelling in
your life. L liz the lamp and called The
snake off, The coon's eyes stuck out
so far you could have hung your hat on
'em. He was yelling, Take um of,
boss; oh, Mass Cunnel, dom le' me
die. Fo' Gawd done swar 1 mistook
de house, / burnt the wound with
caustic, made him dead drunk and the
next morning landed him in the Jail.
That snake was as gentle as kitten 10