The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-08-02
SNAKE STORIES.
A Woman Who Has Seen Reptiles
jump and Charm.

there is an article taken from the New
York Times, on the habits of snakes and
headed: MANY Foolish Beliefs About
Them Are Exposed and Denied"
The writer Of the article says that snakes
do not jump at people or birds. neither do
they charm their prey. Very many do
not, but, hope be will pardon me. there
are many that do, both jump and charm.
Now, l do not pretend 10 know but precious
little about tho habits OF snakes; have
never studied them except just long
enough TO kill one. But one raised down
here In this part OF Louisiana, where those
horrid reptiles grow almost as thickly as
do blaokberries, must through association
acquire q little knowledge of them.
Several years ago while three OF US were
ram bling In the woods we entered a thicket,
hoping 10 find therein few dozen May
pops Tor apples, and as yo turned TO came
out we heard rafting which we knew to
be rattlef's warning. Our frightened
eyes soon found him within six inches Of
the narrow path that we were compelled to
take II we ever got out there being no
other, and the thioket far too desse for our
feeble attempts TO succeed in making ose.
1 was the elder Of the three, aud only II,
and since I'd promised TO protect the two
little ones l was determined TO do 10. There
was but one thug to do we were cor
nered by horrid poisonous rattler which
| had to be killed before we dared 70 try to
get out. So we made up our minds to be
brave and try our skill
| found a short stick near by with which
gave him smart blow across his back,
| hoping to break IL after which of course
he would be unable to move a foot, and we
could kill him without danger. But the
| force of the blow from my weakened,
trembling arm was not great enough, and
in bis anger and indignation at being bruised
by ssch a little girl, he jumped several feet
toward me, and came down heavily on the
ground. The two little girls with me
| screamed in an uneArthly manner and began
crying. Ny frightened heart was flutterlng
too. but no tears dimmed my sight, which
needed, knowing as did what the situation
| meant 70 u.s.
| l told the two to dry their eyes ct once
and help me, or we three would be killed, l
pinioned the snake to the earth with all my
strength, and though he made dozens Of
strikes, the two children beat him till be
was dend enough TO suit US, then we carried,
him oat Of the thlcket on q stick, and I
| chopped bis head of with our Ratchet and
| counted eleven rattles aud one button.
1t was long distance home aud We
usually stopped for short rest, but not that
day. o, mol there was perpetual motion"
In our feet and We could not stop. Our
brother doubted our adventure, but was
convinced when he found the hsadless RATHER
where we had left him
Several years after this stood Looking
through a crack In the floor of an old house
at q snake which q man was teasing with
broom handle through another crack, while
the snake made repeated strikes at the stick
and wiggled Ia the dust under the HOUSE.
When the man concluded to kill the snake
he walked the steps and peeped under tbs
| gallery where be bod loft the RATHER. and
| at sight of bis tormentor tho RATHER made
| the greatest leap have ever seen one make
| and with jaws wide open, showing the
most fearful looking fangs / ever have
seen, dashed for the man, who gave hin
blow across the back which broke il,
after which he was killed as easily an rat
tiers ever are, since they al ways make them
| selves very fat and hard, so that IL takes
many blows or q blade Of some kind to
| end 1t.
During the food of 1889, while out In a
pirogue padding around for my own pleas
| ure, very small, striped water snake
| (something like the garter came swimming
| by. he looked 80 proud and naughty, with
his head high up out OF the water, that
gave him tap with the paddle. He Kissed,
let out bis musk, and jumped four feet (per-
heps not quite 90 far at me- missing the
pirogue one inch, which just saved me a
lively fight. Handling my little craft quite
WELL soon shot 1t out Of his way, and he
gave up and turned back.
During that same high water l met a
| black snake one morning coming up the
stairs steps. l struck at him but missed
him, and he threw himself the length Of
himself up four steps at me.
know Of several other instances where
the jump came in with frightful earnest
ness, but the circumstances were pretty
much the same as those just mentioned, so
not worth while filing space with
| Now as for their charming N powers I
know but httle, but that little is quite
enough for me. sat upon the top of a new
fence when l was IA years old and watched
| large snake of some kind charm a mock
ing bird. The snake laid perfectly still,
save the ~agging OF the tip end Of his tail,
and riveted his eyes on the bird. The sweet
little sougster skipped from side 20 side In
front of the snake. but never moving its
eyes from those OF the enemy. Each skip
brought IL nearer the horrid mouth, and
though l hallooed at the bird, he heard
nothing, and In about one-perhaps two
minutes the sweet songster's little body was
being crushed In the jaws OF that snake,
| where il had gone itself and In the same
manner saw one charm aud make away
with spring frog.
Aud this Is not all. One morning, Just
after drawing bucket of water from the
cistera, felt that must look behind me,
| ana as / did so, was shocked to see the
largest snake had ever seen lying only
about six feet away, half coiled, wiggIlug
| his tongue aud tail while his bead like ewes
were piercing into me, so intense was the
| gaze. l recovered from the sudden fright,
and, still watching the snake tried to reach
the steps, out could not move. felt little
numbness creep over me that for q time de-
prived me Of speech and power 70 move
even one finger. My head was turned to-
ward the snake and felt as IL it was tied 10
that position, and thus I stood few min
utes though IL seemed longer.
! Then the horror of the situation dawued
upon me, 1. e., was being charmed. With
great will power jerked my head to the
right, made three strides for the door, and
gave a whoop such as would do credit to q
wild Indian, An old negro ran up to see
what as the matter, and after a battle
which lasted one hour, the old darby, with
preparation and dark liquid blown on
him by the snake, pronounced him dead as
''dey mos gin'rilly git twell shutdown"
That was the nearest I ever came to being
charmed ~ with snake. and / hope the
like will never occur again. / pledge my
word what have stated above Is perfectly
true and what have actually seen aud ex-
perienced. And would advise every one
that it isn't best to believe that snakes are
endowed with a spring that they will at
| times make use of.
LORD WOLSELEY'S ADVENTURES.
| First TJndar Fira in Ri1ruaab- pafora