Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-04-04
NO. -.
TWO AGED RATTLERS
Oss w.s Fortv- rive and IN. otSer rhir-
ty-Ntne Years of Age.

ty-Nine Years of Age
PcmPcy Hooper. an old colored farm
sr who lives in the eastern portion Of
the county. and who. last year. in n
battle with rattlosnalxes. killed eleven
Of the reptiles. was In Memphis,
and from him reporter learned
of another aRd still more inter
esting encounter which occurred re-
Gently. Ponpey Is great coon hunter.
ard in company with two others. he
started cut on n big hunt. Several
raccoons were caught and the trio,
after having hugely enjoyed the sport.
were preparing to return home when
suddenly the dogs bayed again.
Approaching near 10 where they were
barking. the three concluded. rs they
had their guns with them and were
tired chOpping down trees. TO wait un-
al day Light and shoot the game. ASH
Vas oaly n short while until dawn. a
Ere was accordingly built. and while
his companions produced . deck OF
cards with which To while away tho
time PoInpcy stretched himself on the
ground for u short nap. Somehow the
old feHcw could not sleep. and after
short while he picked up his gun. and
ughtin. a pine torch walked over
~ where the dogs where. Instead OF
tree and a coon he found the hounds
scratching ard tearing up the earth at
the base of \ hollow rock. Thinking
that some animal had taken refuge In
the bo~ lder. he iammed the blazing
torch into the erevies The old regro's
terror was great when instead of the
growl which was expected. he heard q
terrihi aitling. such a. experience
had taught him the rattlesnake gives
only when about 10 strike. Pompcy's
fight with th-e deadly reptiles las; year
had left an impression on his mind.
and be Was preparing TO run when. As
he says: ''One of the biggest rattlers
you ever heard Of aid outen' that hole
an jumped at me. He wcuid y got
me. shore. but one o. the dogs grabbed
his tail an gin IL a Hirt." just then
another snake. bigger than the I'D
der. erawled out and II ado a loap for
Pompey. who fetched him n -wipe
with tbs srrchr and then grabbed his
gun BY this time the first snake was
rH'tling and striking. and. with one
hand holding the torch and the other tho
gun the old negro "blaxed away" but
missed Steaslying himself he took
better aim and frcd tbe second time,
and with better results. for the reptiles
head Was torn completely OF Al this
moment the other sn-.ks struck Pom-
pey's foot. burying its fanCe in the toe
Of his shoe. but. llclSily. 80 near the
end that no dar AGE wa done Again
the pine torch came down. and this
time on the snakes head That ended
Il and As the old negro's companions
came rushing to the scene and found
him carefully examining his foot. hard
ly able TO understand that he had es-
capped unhurt II what the carkies say
Is true. and Uncle Pompey is one Of the
wealthicst and most reliable colored
farmers in the county. the two snakes
kiEIed were the largest and oldest OF
any of their kind ever found They
say one had forty and the other thirty
six rattles- As u sualSe is three years
old before a rattle appears. and as one
Ia then added for each year. one was
forty-three and the other thirty-uino
years of age.-Memphis (Tenn.) Ap-
peal