, 1888-03-11

The ~rattlers was wild an tumbled about
on the snow an twisted theirselfs round
one another, an ratified till I thought
they'd bust every bell an button they
had. But vile the rattlers and some
o. t'other snakes was huggin' one an
other fer joy, the black snakes an
friends o. their rabbit was hissin' mad
an crowded round the ODD RATHER
an the adder an the black snake on the
rock, and made an e~verlastin' kick. Ez
fur ez / KID make out the three snakes
on the rock was the jedges, an the
hackers o. the losin' rabbit was raisin' q
pint that sumpin' hadn't been did
'dZactly on the squeeze. Bimeby every
thing got quiet, and / see that the jedges
was decidin' on the pint. The decision
didn't suit the rattlers an their friends,
but they give in.
"tNow, wat be them rampagin' sar-
pints gointer do next, says 1 to myself.
81 didn't hef to wait long, Peleg, to
see. Two or three snakes hurried off
through the brush, to'ards the creek, a
hundred foot or SO away. They WANT
gone long, an wen they kim back each
n had his chops filed with little round
stones. Then the young rattlesnake th't
rid the winnin' rabbit throwed his mouth
wide open, an the snakes dropped the
stones one by one in his mouth, an he
swollered 'em. Wen he had done that
the black snake th't had rid t'other rab-
bit shot his tail up an layed it over a
scrub oak limb bout four foot from the
ground. The tail stuck over on t'other
side O. the limb. The young RATHER riz
himself up on the tip O. his tail, an
could jist reach the tip o. the black snakes
tail with his teeth. He grabbed it in
his mouth an curled his own tail up
often the ground. Then his weight pulled
the black snake often the ground, an
both sarpints hung clear, evenly bal
anced, in the air. Want that plain
enough, Peleg? Ye see, the young rat
tier were so much lighter on his rabbit
thin the b~lacksnake were on his, that
the hackers O. the blacksnake's rabbit
howled agin its bein' a fair race,
an the m'jor'ty O. the jedges had seen
their pint an stood by 'em. The conse-
kence were th't the young RATHER had to
be evened up in heft with the rattlesnake,
Il a committee were appointed to see it
done-an' it were lone fair an square.
In the second runnin' of the race the rab-
bits was comm in neck an neck, an the
chances was th't it d end in a dead heat,
ez setch things is called by aggercult'rists.
But jist ez the racers got within one
jump o. the endin' place, with both O.
the ridin' snakes a lashin' their rabbits
with their tails, witch was ez good ez
whips, the young RATHER slung his tail
for'ard an jabbed it agin the root o. one
O. his rabbits long ears, and bent the ear
straight in front o. him till it stuck ahead
its full length. The two rabbits landed
at the same second, with their feet an
heads plumb even in front o. the jedge's
rock. But the little trick th't the cunnin'
RATHER rider played on the blacksnake
rider counted with the jedges, an the
rattler's rabbit won by an ear.
can that's the way the snakes O.
Sugar Swamp deestric' usety pass away
the time durin' the long, dull winters o
sixty an seventy year ago, Peleg, fore
they lost their vim an their sportin'
blood, an went to sleepin' in holes in the
rocks. Yer poor oil gran'pap's gointer
bed now, sonny. If you set up till M'riar
comes, don't mention setch a thing ez
snakes toher, Peleg, fer yer gran'mammy
don't sleep p'tic'lar well ez it is, an tai
kim o. snakes sets her to dreamin' on
common terrible. Ed Mott in New
York Sun.