The Irish standard., 1888-09-08
CONQUERED BY SNAKES.
4 Gang OF Outlaws Hemmed II
by an Amy Of Serpents.

true of paris Of Missouri, Mississippi, Ar
kansas, Louisiana and Texas. While the
Confederate troops had disbanded, and be-
fore the Federal could occupy the country,
the guerrilla and bnshwhacker were there.
had r district assigned to me- along Che
ST. Francis river, Arkansas, and the total
strength of my command was twenty eight
men.
In Aly territory, says q writer in the New
York Sun, as soon ascertained, were some
Of the worst desperadoes in the West. All
had belonged 10 guerrilla bands, and all had
refused TO come in and surrender at the close
OF the war. The meanest, if not the worst,
mar in my district was Captain Dade. He
was in command Of dozen outlaws. Isent
the desperate word to come In and surren-
der He sent me word to go to thunder. /
notified him in writing that if he did not
come in by g certain date should declare
him al outlaw in the district, and proceed
to hunt him down and kill him. He replied
by word of mouth that it did not surren-
der to aim on or before the same date he
would proceed to exter1ninate my COM
mand gave him ten days, having not the
slightest hope that he would come in. On
the morning of the eleventh day had
call from {. native, about twenty-five years
old, who announced himself as ''Dan," and
who said he had called on q little business
al5tter I supposed it to be about q permit,
or to make complaint, but after bit he OBJ
served:
"Captain, them ten deys ar up, an
reckon Bill Dade haint shown hisself.'
&sNc, he hasn't come iu.'
"An' he won't, nuthsr"
II don't expect he Will"
avail, ar you gwine ter lot him an his
gang keep up thar whcppin' an shottin' an
kiliin'?'
''No. Bill Dade and his gang are now out
lawed by proclamation. | am going TO hunt
chem down and wipe them ort.''
Alright off, Captains"
HAs soon as can arrange for it,
''You kin arrange right now, Captain.
Ihat's what I'm yere fur How much
head if wipe out the Dade ganga'
SLOW many are THEREOF
",Just FIVE, an every one Of 'em has COM
nnittted murder an wuss dozen times
over"
ssT cam offer q reward for their heads. /
have outlawe1 them, and the military au-
b}.orities have the right to shoot them on
eighi."
at that moment word was brought me
that Dade's gang had come within two miles
o. headquarters and murdered two Of the
command who We're stationed All q. freed
nai's rendezvous to preserve order. Half
an hour later the man called Dan departed
on his man hunt, and he dad my agreement
iii writing that neither the law nor the mill
tary should trouble him for shooting down
any Of tho gang.
This daring man hunter stepped into his
canoe and padded III, the river about five
miles Then he entered a bayou to the
right, and carefully made his way to a bit Of
high ground about two miles from the
riyer. All the low lands were then un-
Ger overflow for ten miles back, and he
kne.v Of but one spot where the outlaws
could rendezvous. This was Il larger island,
about half mile away, and bearing log
house and some farm improv ements. At
this time the place could be approached only
BY water, and Dade was not bllfing when
he det1ed me. 1t is doubtful if any offer Of
reward could have induced Federal sol
der to follow Dan. The overflow had driven
;ths reptiles to take refuge in the bushes
and trees, and as his canoe moved in and out
the hiss Of the cotton-m outh and the warn
Ing Of the RATHER came to his ears almost
continuously. Half a dozen times in the
course Of half an hour hideous serpents let
20 OF the branches and fell into the water
with Il loud splash and SWAN for the canoe,
perhaps hoping to be carried to the high
ground, and at such times the man had to
Ny down his paddle and beat them off with
pole. There was danger with every rod
Of the journey, aud the semi-darkness and
the utter stiffness would have taken the
courage from an average man.
Dan did not land upon the island, but
made the circuit of it in his canoe, and
satisfied himself that 40 sentinel was es-
tabushea here, as he suspected might be the
case. If one had been posted there he had
been forced to abandon his position by the
thousands of reptiles which had been driven
in for shelter. Any craft seeking the other
island must pass here, aud any craft max
ing for the river from the other island must
use this channel. Satisfied that he had left
no danger behind him, and that his way OF
retreat was open if he were forced to fall
back, Dan cautiously proceeded on his
way. 1t was not yet mid-afternoon. 1t
was hot summers day, and there was
absolute silence in the great swamp. The
outlaws, returned from their raid, would
expect pursuit, and, therefore, be watchful.
Dan was known to all Of them, and the in
slant he was discovered he would be shot
down He knew every foot Of the island,
and as he neared it he had his plans all
laid. Making wide sweep by forcing his
canoe where 1t seemed haruly posS1ble Tor
serpent to 60, he landed on the north side
Of the piece Of land, half q mile from the
4 hut. AS soon as he he'd hidden thu craft he
made his way toward the clearing, moving
with ell the caution Of an Indian On the war
path He said he saw more snakes that
i day than he supposed the whole country
held. He touched them time and sgain, and
4 . score Of times he came within an ace Of
being bitten. SIS
When Dan reached the edge Of the clear
ing at point where he was close upon the
4 cabin, he was surprised ITO find every thing
QUIET. There was q ssnold aring fire at the
door, and plenty ofs yidence that the men l
ywere near he'd sets y watch II II was Z
d.