The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-09-04
A MULE A BAD FIX.
Suspended In the Air In the Coils OF {
Monster Snake-A Boomers Story.

Recently. while sitting around the
campfire of company of boomers, ,
who had just arrived from the north.
ern border of Iowa lands, the writer
listened to half-dozen or more stories
which. if they had been told around
the hearthstone of some industrious
farmer in Missouri or Illinois, would
have caused the gray hairs of his head
to stand out like the bristles of por-
cupine.
The principal talker of the evening
was an old boomer" belonging to that
numerous family called the Joneses,
who in earlier days trailed the plains
with an ox-team, and later followed the
profession of stage-driver in the
Black Hills. 1t was of terrible exs
perience had with large mountain
snake, while en- route from Leadville,
Colo, to a small mining camp called
Glennwood that Jones was relating in
true style of an old-time mountaineer.
On leaving Leadville the elements
were as free from any sign of disturb
ance as were any of the eight or ten
preceding days of beautiful Indian
summer weather. Before MONDAY.
however. heavy clouds appeared. aud
by 3 o'clock in the afternoon rain CON-
menced falling in almost binding
sheets, making the roads heavy and
the streams dangerous to ford. An
old-fashioned buck board. drawn by a
heavy span of mules, with one solitary
passenger, professional gambler from
New York, made up the outfit.
Il know" said Jones, that l have
laughed a thousand times to myself
when sizing up the gambler as he ap-
peared on that occasion when his bee
gum hat melted down to his shoulders. :"
The rain battered down upon the
domestic-topped buck board with such
force that the water came through as
if poured from pail.
In those DAYS it was Il rule with the
Government to tax mail contractors
from S. to so for every day the driver
failed to make it through, the only ex-
ception to this rule being in cases of
unavoidable accidents; therefore,
Jones had rather take the rain than tie
up for the day. Paying no attention
to the demands of his passenger to take
shelter, the driver urged the mules
forward at as fast speed as was possible.
Presently deep gulch was reached,
which ran from bank to bank with
peculiarly colored water, looking as if
| the depth and swiftness would easily
float large-siZed house. There re-
manned but one thing to do, and that
was to unhitch, tie up the mules. and
seek shelter under great rock over
hanging the gulch on the north.
The mail pouches, which by this
time were SO thoroughly soaked that
| they resembled wet sponge, were re-
moved to dry place under the cliff.
| The mules were embarrassed and tied
to some overhanging limbs which pro-
truded from cluster of large elm
trees. Knowing that it would lie late
in the coming day, and perh APPS two
days before the waters would recede
sufficiently for safe fording, the driver
and passenger sought a dry spot
among the leaves under the ROCKS.
where they soon fell asleep. Not a
noise disturbed their slumber until the
grey dawn of morning had made its
appearance in the distance over the top
of beautiful mountain chain to the
| east.
'.All at once a terrible cry of agony
came from the direction in which the
mules had been tied. This was fol-
lowed in quick succession said Jones,
"by loud snort and sickening
groan, when l jumped to my feet and
shouted to the gambler to follow me.
| Upon reaching the spot where l had
left my team discovered the larger
mule suspended high up in the air,
with the coils of monster snake tight
ly wrapped about his belly. 1t was an
awful sight to witness. My presence
| did not seem to excite the reptile in the
| least. and instead of lowering the mule
| the snake squeezed the harder, until
the poor brute more dead than alive,
poked out his tongue as if ready to pass
| in his checks"
The gambler remained away through
fear until persuaded to return and help
| liberate the mule TIE neck-yoke of
the buck board furnished the only
weapon of defence and was used
effectively in forcing the snake to
loosen its hold upon the mule. After
| pelting the snake with stones and
clubs for q few moments the reptile
| finally let 90 the limb, both mule and
snake falling upon the ground below.
After falling the snake became fright
ened and crawled away among the
! rocks. The mule. though looking as
if every bone in his body had been
crushed, was able the next day to con-
tinue the journey.
Twelve years after this occurred, "
said Jones, Il met the gambler in a
saloon at Omaha, who sat 'em up in
great style, remarking that the snake
battle of years ago was by far the most
exciting incident of his life."
An old, very seedy-looking "boom-
Ell" sitting just to the right of Jones,
started in to tell a story in connection
with some of the exploits of pioneer
boomers. but was interrupted by the
Indians, who were just starting in on
three days stamp dance preparatory
to meeting the commission at the be-
ginning of the fourth day.-Globe
Democrat