St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-21
How a Hog Kills a Snake.

How a Hog Kills q Snake.
jackson CMiss.) Correspondent Globe-Demo-
erat.
of course you know that a hog can
kill snake, but did you ever see one
do it? Well, did a few weeks ago, and
a curious sight it was, too"
The speaker was K. Il. Donnelly, of
this place. in recent conversation with
the writer.
u had been for a stroll along the
river bank" continued Donnelly, land
had reached a thickly- wooded spot,
when | heard the sharp, singing whirr
of rattlesnake, which, by the way, l
defy any man. no matter how brave, to
hear suddenly unmoved.
1.-The sound came from behind patch
of Sumach bushes. and L at first
thought that it was my approach that
had called forth the demonstration, but
parting the bushes, 1 looked out on
patch OF cleared ground and saw litter
of pigS-little chaps, not more than
three or four weeks Old-put to flight
by the mother, which then turned val
iantly to face the rattlesnake, which
was in the act of recoiling itself for an
other stroke.
The little pigs, evidently the snakes
intended prey, ran off, and the RATHER,
undoubtedly remembering that it was
as we'll to be in for pound as penny,
turned it's attention to the SOW and bur
led its fangs in the shoulder of the
animal, which presented that part of
the body to receive the blow. But
though she appeared to mind this no
more than the stroke of twig blown
by the wind, the next instant sh hurle
herself upon the snake, briS Il ing like
hair brush, stamping with her fore feet
and swapping her jaws. l had no idea
an animal so clumsy and stupid-looking
as hog could be so agile and quick as
her movements were, but she fairly
danced over that snakes body till it
got away from her.
lit was just disappearing under a
fallen tree trunk when Madame Hog
grabbed it by the tip of the tail and
hauled it back Kissing and Writhing.
She then let go of the tail to seize it by
more vital part, but the rattlesnake,
with deXtr0us movement, succeeded
in wrapping itself about it's
enemy, striking her in as many
as dozen places without the
SOW appearing to mind it's
prey in the least. l had been sur
prised at the latter allowing the snake
TO wrap itself about it so, for l have al
ways heard it said that the bristIes of a
hog prevent the snake from choking it
to death, as this one was evidently try
Ing to DO, but the SOW seemed actually
TO enjoy the others efforts, and waited
until the reptile, drawing It's folds closer
and closer. brought its head uhwarily
TO the front, when, as quick as a flash,
the powerful jaws had snapped at the
wicked head, severlng it as neatly as
conld piece of gingerbread. The
bleeding, decapitated body fell squlrm-
ing for few seconds to the ground,
when the SOW, after calling her little
ones TO share the feast, proceeded to de-
Yout it with great relish.
LAS ! saw no more of it, / presume
she swallowed the head as tid-bit she
appropriated as her special property.
After the snake was eaten and the
swine departed in search of fresh food,
picked up the rattles, which were ali
that was left of the reptile, as souvenir
OF the battle.
But in the whole affair the things
that puzzled me most were the soW's in
indifference to the rattlesnake's bites,
OF which it must have sustained over a