Huntsville gazette., 1889-04-06
TWO AGED RATTLERS.
One Was Fortv-Tive aud the Other Thir
ty-Nine Years OF Age.

One Was FortvFive aud the Other Thir.
ty-Nine Years OF Age.
Pompey Hooper, an old colored farm
er who lives in the eastern portion OF
the county, and who, last year, in q
battle with rattlesnakes. killed eleven
of the reptiles, was in Memphis,
and from him a reporter learned
of another and still NOR: inter-
esting encounter which occurred re-
Gently. Pompey is great coon hunter.
and in company with two others, he
started out on 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 to where they We're
barking, the three concluded, as they
| had their guns with them and were
tired chopping down trees, to wait un-
til daylight and shoot the game. AS ii
was only short while until dawn. a
fire was accordingly built. and while
his companions produced deck OF
cards with which to while away the
time Pompey stretched himself on the
ground for a short nap. Somehow the
old fellow could not sleep, and after
short while he picked up his gun. and
lighting q pine torch walked over
to where the dogs where. Instead Of
a tree and a coon he found the hounds
scratching and tearing up the earth q
| the base of hollow rock. Thinking
| that some animal had taken refuge In
the bowlder, he jammed the blazing
| torch into the crevice The old negro's
| terror was great when instead of the
| growl which was expected, he heard
| terrible rattling, such as experience
| had taught him the rattlesnake gives
| only when about to strike. Pompey's
| fight with the deadly reptiles last year
had left an impression on his mind,
and he was preparing to run when, az
he says: "One OF the biggest rattlers
| you ever heard Of slid outen' that hole
| an jumped at me. He would a got
me, shore. but one O the dogs grabbed
his tail an gin it flirt." just then
another snake. bigger than the I'd
der" crawled out and mAde a loap for
| Pompey. who fetched him swipe
| with the torch" and then grabbed his
| gun. By this time the first snake was
rafting and striking, and, with one
| hand holding the torch and the other the
| gun. the old negro "blazed away" but
missed. Steadying himself he took
| etter aim and fired the second time,
| and with better results. for the reptiles
cad was torn completely off. At this
| loment the other snake struck Pom
Dey's foot, burying its fange in the toe
| his shoe, but. luckily. so near the
md that no damage was done. Again
the pine torch came down. and this
| time on the snakes head. That ended
| it, and az the old negro's companions
| came rushing to the scene and found
| him carefully examining his foot, bard
| " able to understand that he had es-
| capped unhurt. Ii what the darkies say
is true, and Uncle Pompey is one Of the
| wealthiest and most reliable colored
| farmers in the county, the two snakes
| killed were the largest and oldest OF
any OF their kind ever found. They
| say one had forty and the other thirty
| six rattles AS snake is three years
| old before rattle appears, and as one
| is then added for each year, one was
| forty-three and the other thirty-nine
years OF age Memphis (Tenn.) Ap-
peal