The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-03-26
STORIES OF SNAKES.
Pompey Hooper's Thrilling Ex.
periences.
~ TIE EMBRACE or sERPeNTs.


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Cosvxrvfxx.x. Mss, March B--Pcmpey
Hooper has hsd another adventure with
rsstlssnakss. and this time = came nea'
being his iast. As = majority OF the people
In North Mississirpi are aware, this Old
negro. generally called Uncle Pompey, re
sides At the foot Of bill termed Rattle
snakes Bluf" Here. Ia the hollow rocks
and innumeratas crevsces which line the
hillside. the deadliest Of all deadly reptiles
the bright yeiiow-sposted rastisrs- axe
their homes. Pompey has made several
attempts to ront them with tire and smoke.
bat fhev generally routed the old darky,
and then returned TO their homes when
the smoke had cleared away. This kind oil
procedure only had the effect Of stirring
things Up, and ~ the serpents are very
pesceahie when LET alone the negro At last
very sensibgy concluded 10 leave matters
~ they were
One morning recently, however. Pompey
wished 20 make an AZ handle. and Is .
small hickory lust suited for his purpose
stood on the side OF the bluff, he deter
mined 70 cnf u, notwithstanding the pres
ence Of the snakes. He had long desired
this particular hickory. imagining IL
would make q better handle than any OF
It's neighbors which were uore accessible.
So. seixing hatchet. he climbed the bill,
resolved 70 cut the tree and get away be-
fore the rattiers realized that an enemy had
invaded their territory. All went well
until Just as the hickory was falling. when
the old man, who had kept . sharp out
look on all sides. suddenly saw q huge
mass Of cooled deadiiness almost at his
very feet The strokes OF the Ratchet had
prevented his hearing the warning song
Of the serpent's tail. and IL was preparing
10 strike a. his glance fell upon the giisten-
Ing folds.
Without moments thought he sprang
wildly down the slope, stumbled and fell
Then there Was = crash from above. and he
was pinned firmly 70 the earth. with the
tree resting across his chest in sneh q man.
ner that. strive As he might. he could in no
way extricate himself. The noise made
had been entirely sufficient to rouse the ire
OF every snake along the biud for dis
lance OF 100 yards. and as the imprisoned
darky glanced around he saw their yellow
bodies gliding toward him from all sides.
The hideous misses, mingiing with the rat
tie of the buttons on many quivering tails,
made bis hair. kinky and woody as IL is. al
most stars. on end.
At this nooment, and before any OF the
other snake6 had got within striking dis
tarce. Pompey heard little tinkie-tinkie-
tinkIe on his right, and turned In time TO
see the head of the snake from which he
had jumped no back for deadly blow at
his face Everything seemed over now,
and. In his imagination, he already felt the
horrible fangs in his cheek. With ter
rible scream OF fear, he made last effort
20 gct free. and failed. The snake was evil
IDENTIFY little surprised. for II hesitatsd .
few moments. Then, with q rattle OF in
creased anger, the head hcw back once
more, and, quivering with the strain,
flashed forward. The stroke never
reached the negro. however, for
ri that moment long slim.
brcwn-spottsd body shot across the black
face, and in trice was wrapped around
the yellow throat, safely behind the
deadly fsngs. The RATHER had met his
master, tho king snake.
A short, sharp struggle ensued. and as
old Pomp, with . shout Of Joy, glanced
about him the remaining rattlesnakes were
gliding swiftly and noiselessly toward their
holes. Then the king leisurely uncoiied
and crawied away, leaving hls huge sdver-
sary dead.
Pomp. who was soon released from his
unpleasant position. says that king snakes
are perfectly harmless. and that his last adj
venture has taught him q lesson. He will
capture q number of these little reptiles
and place them in the crevtces along the
bluff. and is willing 10 bet high that the
rattiers will seek more congeniai ciimes