Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-05-07
AN OLD rRAPPEK's EXPERIMENT

AN OLD TRAPPER's EXPERIMENT.
How the Relations Between q Fox and the
Blacksnske Were Determined.
Correspondence Of The Evening Star
HUNTINGDON, Pa, May s
The recent death Of old Hiram Ross, the
famous hunter and trapper Of the Bear
Meadows, deprived this region OF one of
its most interesting and remarkable char
acters. He was q real bacswoodsman
In the old-fashioned sense, q quaint, un-
tutored naturalist, q regular sold settler"
His log cabin built among the rockicst and
most inaccessible Businesses Of Stone mountain,
where Huntingdon, Center aad Miifin counties
come together, is a veritable treasury of odd
souvenirs and hunters relics. A big jar full of
rattlesnake ratties adorns the rude mantel over
the wide fireplace, bear skins cover the floor,
deer antlers hang from the walls. and thou
sand odd traps and queer knicknacks, memen-
toes OF the chase, besides countless boxes and
cages containing living pets, captured in
the woods. litter the whole establishment from
top to bottom. There Hiram lived IN peace
aud quiet, enjoying an ideal hunters life, far
from the inadding crowd, with but few wants
ana innocent tastes; fishing at will in tho
Standing Stone creek, which fairly swarms with
trout and hunting in the surrounding wilder
ness deer. bear, wildcats foxes, rabbits, tur-
keys and all other sorts of game native in the
state.
Not long ago Hiram trapped two live foxes, a
male and q female, fully grown, and confined
them in an improvised iron cage of his own
construction. The pair soon became recon-
ciled to their captivity and acquired strong
mutual affection for each other and a marked
fondness for Hiram. Tho latter kept them
well supplied with birds from the neighboring
WOODS, and with fruits, nuts and occasional RAJ
tions of meat. They seemed perfectly salts
ned with this regime, but Hiram nevertheless
constantly sought out new delicacics for them.
scofcHKp SNAKE.
Early in April, accordingly, when rambling
on the mountain. he surprised a big black
snake curled up cozily on top OF a flat-topped
boulder basking in the sweet sunshine, the
thought struck him that maybe the foxes
might relish taste of fresh live black snake.
Hiram had often specialized as to the relations
existing between foxes and snakes in general
and here was good chance to experiment.;
SO, picking up forkcd stick, he quietly APP
preached the boulder and. with a dc1terous
movement of his right hand. pinned the black
snake down by placing the forked stick over it.
close behind the head, while. with his left
hand. he seized the reptile by the back before
1t could recover from its surprise and deftly
poked it in his game bag, bucklng the cover
down tightly to secure his prisoner.
When he got home he deliberately dropped
the writing snake into the foxes cage and
waited to see what they would do. Instantly
their bright eyes sparkled with delight and
their luxuriant brushes vibrated aloft with
great animation in proof OF their pleasure.
HE male fox. although he had hitherto shown
an astonishing degree of Sallantry toward his
mate by denying himself many a dainty morscl
III her favor at feeding times. immediately for
got himself and sprang like "a flash at the snake.
grabbing it in his teeth close behind the head.
At almost the same instant the female sprany
likewise, with the Same intent. but she was a
moment too late and missed her mark. In.
stead Of striking the snake she gave her liege
lord and mate a sharp bite on the left side of
his jaw, inilcting painful wound. from which
tho blood spurted profusely. Then there was
family war.
SCRAMBLE FOR THE FEAST.
With howl of rage the male dropped the
snake and turned savagely to punish his erring
spouse. The spouse, however. was spunky
and demonstrated her spirited resentment by
swapping at him furiously. The fur flew in
little tufts from both of them, and vicious
s9ueals and discordant yells rent the air. Over
and over they rolled, exactly as dogs do in deadly
combats, while the black snake, despite it's
broken back, fastened to take advantage of
the opportunity by wriggling out between the
bars of the cage.
Old Hiram meantime looked on in childish
glee and Rugged his fat sides with laughter
Al ic" miuutts, however, IL seemed TO occur
to both foxes that they were wasting valuable
time. for they suddenly suspended hostiltle;
and looked eagerly about in search of the
snake. the innocent cause Of their quarrel. 1t
had succeeded during the melee in getting all
its body out of the cage except the tip of its
tail
Quick as a thought the male spied it, and.
seiZlrg the retreatine tail In his mouth
whipped the reptile back into the cage again.
The next moment the female had snapped upon
the head and then both foxes began to pull for
dear life in opposite directions. The body of
the snake stretched out marve lousy, but it
had to give way somewhere and finally parted.
about oIe-third from the tail. The male fox
turned to one corner of the cage with his
smaller portion, while the female. evidently
dreading lest she should be cheated by her
partner out of her share, proceeded with
frantic haste to dispatch the remaining two
thirds before he could finish his. She sue
ceeded. and in a twinkling the whole snake
head. TAIL scales, every bit of skin and every
shred of hesh-had vanished utterly out OF
sight.
Old Hiram had demonstrated to his entire
satisfaction that the relations between black
snakes and foxes are decidedly amicable-on
the part OF the foxes.