Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-09-08

Icoveries. One of the men came to the door, yawned, threw up his hand, and looked about him in a sleepy manner. There was jug of whisky outside the door, and after taking long drink the fellow staggered over to the fire, threw on a few faggots, and then lurched into the house. The other discovery was that the back water in the bayou was rising. He got the hint from the action of coons, rabbits and the snakes. They were pressing toward the higher ground on which the house stood, and none of them seemed to mind his presence.
 Taking advantage of such shelter as was afforded, and being ready at any mo- ment to open the fight, the man finally reached the cabin. It was stout structure, with heavy door opening outward. On the plank floor within, sprawled out in reckless fashion, were five sleeping men Captain Dade and his outlaws. They were not only sleepers, but each man was blind drunk
 Guns, revoivers and knives were lying about on the floor. Dan could have gone among them and stabbed each one to the heart without risk, but he was not coward enough for this. He was thinking that he would bind the fellows tight and fast, re- move their weapons, and then bar them in | until he could return for help and capture the lot for the gallows-tree. This plan would have been carried out but for one, unlooked-for circumstance. The snakes had | begun to take possession of the cabin. A | dozen rushed in through the open door in | quick succession, and others climbed up to | the open window, and either fell to the floor or sQuirmed along the logs. Here was safety from the rising waters. Their fear of man was temporarily benumbed by the other danger, and cotton-mouth, rattler | and moccasin passed the man at the door without thought of using their deadly fangs.
 Said Dan: "I carefully pulled the door to. and braced it shut with log. Thar was a wooden blind to the window, and this I also shut and braced. Thar was room enough under the door for more snakes to get in, but it would have taken the strength of five sober men to break it down. calkerlated as how that room would be holdin' about 8 hundred snakes when the fellows began to rub their eyes open, and felt sure could leave the job to them to finish"
 He had to wade in water knee-deep before he got back to his canoe, and it was after daylight next morning when he came to my | headquarters to make his report and ask for detail of men to go back with him.
 'What do you suppose has happened by this time!' asked.
 "Dead, sir, every man of 'em,'' he re- piled "Them snakes got over their scare in about half an hour, and the first man who moved to get up had pizen shot into him like streak of lightning. Tharu be five corpses thar to be identified, and thar'u be some property to be divided up."
 I concluded to go along with the detail, and about noon we reached the place. We had to kill score of reptiles before we could land. The door and blind were as Dan had left them. He advanced alone to the door, threw 1t open, and, after 6 hasty glance inside, came back to us witt his face as pale as death.
 ''Dead, suppose?" queried.
 ''All in heap, sir, and thar's mo- than { thousand snakes insider
 A guerrilla outlaw named Chambers, wht had sworn to kill me, came in four or five days after the death of Dade, and begged me to permit him to surrender and gC home.
 But you have threatened my life," said.
 ''Sartin I hev, Captain; but I've bin fool. 1 didn't know what you was. Whel a man kin handle sarpints and outlaws lik you hev done, what's the use a kickin' agn him. want to surrender and put an en to this war"
 Two weeks later there wasn't a ''hide out' in my whole district, and it was saf for men to go everywhere. The snak business, which Dan insisted on giving m credit for, was of more help than & regimen of Federal infantry.