The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-08-07
A NEBRASKA SNAKE STORY.
The Thrilling Experience of "A Sojourner in
the West.


The Thrilling Experience of Sojourner in
the West.
ut was in Nebraska" said the racon-
tt6n1S with dignity, land | was visiting
..=sesS,s relatives who lived in sod house
thy had gone there to grow up with
the country. l found them living in
thre rooms, with blanket partitions,
andthey had committed the great folly
OF taking their fine furniture, their
piano, books and carpets out there to
bestow item in Il shanty below the
earth six ret. The dug-out was at the
foot of the bluffs on which the United
States government had built better
houses for the Omaha and WinncbagO
Indians thai the white folks could af-
ford to I've in. | had noticed
that a hndsome carpet which
spread Oven a hollow place in
the ground for the little ones to
play on had ben forgotten, and as the
children no logger used it, | suggested
that the sun wtuld fade it, and the dewS
shrink it, and 'arpcts didn't grow on
every bush in that country. As is usual
Win those who give advice unaslled, |
got myself into Business
"'Just pick it up and bring it in,
cousin, suggestcdny relative.
Il took off my coat and tackled that
carpet with great big pull. 1t was
red-hot day, and WANTED to make u
quick job of it, and swish. had hauled
the carpet off some six feet at the first
pull. Then stood stock still and stared
at the hole had uncovered. 1t swarmed
with snakes, ugly, hollow-cheelled rep
tiles, thrashing the air with their tails,
squirming kissing and striking their
deadly warning rattles in way to
make my blood 1un cold
81 have lived among the boa con-
strictors of South America and have
camped with the deadly cobra Of India.
but dread an American RATHER more
than the other two combined. EcfC.go
had time to run from them they scat
tered, darting here and there into the
! ground as the family cat came stepping
along, looking us if she might spring
on them. | was told that she often
killed them and that they were really
afraid of her.
My cousin and her family laughed at
the idea of being afraid of rattlesnakes
and said that it was rare exception
that anyone was bitten by them.
explained that | did not want to be the
rare exception and must say that did
not enjoy their close proximity.
''My next encounter was even more
annoying. There were natural steps in
the smooth, almost perpendicular sides
climb these, taking one of the children
with me. One day took little Walter,
baby of three years, swinging him up,
step by step, in front of me, the steps
being only wide enough for one person.
When we reached the table land above
! wandered about looking at the Indian
graves, and when the child was tired
started down again. This was diff
cult performance. The grass on either
side was as smooth and hard as glass,
and it would have been impos-
sible to descend by it. | was
obliged to hold the child in front
of me, and as he stepped down, |
followed. We were less than half way
down the mountain ladder when he
drew up his feet, hung his weight on
my hands, and yelled:
Snakes. me see snakes
81 lifted him up, at the risk of over
balancing, and saw the fiat, black head
dart out, and could even discern the
beady'eye of the reptile. | knew that
the serpent was more subtitle than any
beast of the field, and | was mortally
afraid that before | could 'bruise its
head it would bruise my heel. | must
go down in front of that deadly muzZle,
and | did-but have often wondered
that it did not turn my hair gray. can
face black bears without tremor. but
a cold, crawling, Shiny snake, with the
kiss of death on its lips faugh"'-De-
troit Free Press.
A Pretty Sick Man.
One of our physicians received the
following letter from a country ply
stefan: Dear dock | have pashunt
whose phisicol sines shoes that the
windpipe has liberated of, and his
lungs have drop into his stumicIl, he is
onoble to swoller and fear his stumick
tube is gone. | have Civ hym every
thing without efecllt, his father is
welthy onerable and inflienshal, he is
an active member of the church and
God nose | don't want to loos hymn,
what shall | due ans by return male,
yours in need. Fairfield (Me.) Jour
nal
a Satisfactory Apology.
Mr.. Figg-Laura tells me that you
were serenading her last night.
Mudge-Well?
. Mr. Figg-I just came around to apol-
ogize for throwing that hair brush at
you. You see, thought it was the dog.
indianapolis Journal.
More than He Could stand.
"First time | ever heard you swear"
"First time | ever went up to the top
of sixtcen-story building in an ele-
vator with Il cigarette-smoker." Chi
caGo Tribune.