Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-07-02
AND FISH.
n EXPERT RONANGER DOUBLES UP ON THESE
TWO MOST
is8 About Families Of Animals in One Story and
Makes Success Of ia Very Enter
tanning Yarn by the Man From
Pike County.

ke county. Everything tnat Is Odu
mean or loathSOme they never heSi-
TO associate with the name OF
axe. This isn't the peoples fault
is the result OF ignorance. IL is their
misfortune not to know the snake. III
they would only come into closer com
mnnion with snakes and study them
without prejudice, they would ind that
the popular estimate OF these inteSeSt-
ing and intelligent reptiles has done
them ages OF injustice. That unIort-
innate affair ia the garden Of Eden ought
70 be sufficient evidence that the snake
is smart. A little circumstance OF more
recent occurrence, which / want 70 tell
you about, will convince any one That
the Stake is by no means bad.
The water snake, although pretty
and harmless, is one Of the most unpop-
ular members OF the Ophidian race. This
is probably because he has rare tooth
for FISH, and especially trout, OF which
he takes a great many away from the
angler every year. And when you come
70 think of il, why hasn't he as good "a
right TO them as the angler? Anyhow,
whether he is or not, he shows deli
cate sense of what is good by his parti-
alitY for trout.
Zone day / was fishing for trout up
in Pike county, and l saw water snake
drop down into the creek from an alder
only a few yards ahead Of me and pres
emily come out on the other side OF the
creek with trout in his mouth. az
that time shared the popular dislike Tor
snakes, and when / saw this one with
the trout I became so enraged that l
picked up a stone and three il at the
snake. The stone struck the snake
foot or SO above its tail and disabled IL.
Il dropped the fish, which was still
alive, and the trout dOpped back into
water. The snake lay writing on the
ground and / was cruel enough 20 pass
on, leaving 10 TO die, as / believed, in
agony because Of my adherence Of It's
kind.
The next day, fishing the same stream
again, as 1 approached the spot where /
had stoned the water snake, saw
kingfsher sitting on dead limb above
a pool in the brook. j knew 10 was
watching for fish, and stopped TO see
whether the bird would catch one. /
had 20 wait but very short time. The
4 klpgfsher pumped like a shot down
into the water, disappeared FOR mo
lment and came up with a goOd-sized
lchub in It's bill. expected, Of course,
IN see the bird fly home with It's
( Itch, but instead OF that il
dew to the side OF the creek
md, TO my surprise, laid the chdb on
the ground In front of the snake that
I hadn't notice before. IL was the water
4 = - mil "a ~ "A y
before. IL was not dead, but unable 70
move away from the spot where the
stone had crippled 10. As the kingdsher
laid the fish in front OF the snake, the
latter seized IL and proceeded 10 gorge
IL. The kingisher few back TO its limb,
went to fishing again, soon caught an
other fish and flew with il 20 its nest.
INA, half-wtted man couldn't
have helped but understand what this
all meant az a glance. The wounded
! snake, unable 10 move, and conSe-
Iouently unable to get anything to eat,
thad been discovered 10 its sad plight by
Athe kingfsher, and the kinghsher, be-
ling a tender-hearted bird, had taken
lpity on II, and was feeding il TO keep il
tallve until It's wounds healed and 10 was
liable 70 do for itself again. This touched
Inc, and I resolved to let the snake alone
land see what the outcome OF the Incl
dent would be. / didn't get back on
Che creek again for three or four days
q lfter that, and when / got down TO
where the snake had lain 10 had gone.
OF course I had no means OF knowing
what bad become OF it, but naturally
q oneluded that IL had recovered and
lad gone away.
"While stood there the kingdsh
81 >yhted on the dead lamb again, and
there as motiOnless as knot, watch
To- chance to catch fish. A
her fishing IS always and inter
sight 20 me, and sol waited
see che result Of this vigil. 1
wait a good while this time, for
d was evidently intent on big
While be sat there watching a
K appeared, high up, cirCling
over the creek, looking for
llmSef BY and by the king
lppOrtunity came. He shot in
ster. came out with trout and
or home. don't know wheth-
fShhawk had bis microscopic
that trout or not but
I'd he didn't intend % be
OF IL by the kingfSher. The
I gone scarcely a rod when
i'm the fishhawk pOunced and
Il short struggle for the pos
the trout ensued. The king
ing the fight too hot for him,
trout. 1t fell on the ground,
the hawk could faSten his
snake shot ont OF the
Ara fash, RrObbed the trout
9ask out OF sight IN the bushes
soon as the kiugfSher drop
1ut it flew back 20 the dead
emit 10 fishing again. l never
" surprised quite as much
K when be saw the trout dis
he bushes. He lowered over
linute or so, as n he couldn't
YES and then sailed away.
said 70 myself, that wise
ST lay and got the best of
~
at to start on again, when
,ment in the bushes at the
tree the kinEfsher was on.
out came the snake with
It's mouth. IL paused a
foot Of the tree aud thea
The snake made its way
no where the king6Sbe
oking very diScOnsolate,
ne bird on the side. The
ned quickly around, look
Cor a moment. and then
the snake handed over TO