Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-04-23

coveries. One Of the men came to the door.
yawned, threw up his hand, and looked
about him in sleepy manner. There was
jug OF whisky outside the door, and after
taking long drink the fellow staggered
over to the fire, threw on 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 a shelter as
was afforded, and being ready at any mo-
ment to open the fight, the man finally
reached the cabin. 1t was a stout structure,
with heavy door opening outward. On
the plank floor within, sprawled out in
reckless fashion, were i've sleeping men
Captain Dade and his outlaws. They were
not only sleepers, but each man was blind
drunk.
Guns, revolvers 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: ~ 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. I calkerlated
as how that room would be holdin' about a
hundred snakes when the fellows began to
rub their eyes open, and I felt sure I 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 timer" 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 q streak Of lightning. Thar'll be
hve corpses thar to be identified, and thar'll
be some property to be divided up"
concluded to 80 along with the detail,
and about noon we reached the place. We
had to kill a score Of reptiles before we
could land The door and blind were as
Dan had left them. He advanced alone
10 the door, threw it open, and, after
hasty glance inside, came back to us with
his face as pale as death.
"Dead, I supposed" queried.
"All in heap, sir, and thar's mo- than q
thousand snakes insidep'
A guerrilla outlaw named Chambers, who
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 20
home.
"But you have threatened my life,"
said.
'Sartin hev, Captain; but I've bin
fool. didn't know what you was. When
q man kin handle sarpints and outlaws like
you hev done, what's the use kickin' agin
him. want to surrender and put an end
to this war;
Two weeks later there wasn't "hider
out" in my whole district, and it was safe
for men to 20 everywhere. The snake
business, which Dan insisted on giving me
credit for, was of more help than regiment
Of Federal infantry.