The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-04-24
Blseksnske W. Copperhend-A Singular
Hattie on the Edge Of y Pond.

Hattie on the Edge Of = Pond.
Jack Pardy was sitting on pile Of rocks or
Bolivar Hill in Church township. Pa.
dangling his legs In the mir and calculating
how many OF his newly Matched chicks would
survive the hawks and the rats. He was
punctuntng his thought by tossing pebbles In
tho air 30 that they would fall on the green
bank OF a little pond below They were dl.
rected toward what appeared to be black stick
| noar n heap OF stones. Presently q pebble
struck and there was a sudden transforms
| tion from n stick to a blacksnake about five
feet In length. 1t had been asleep evidently.
and the stone disturbed its slumbers very
slightly. for 1t merely raised It's head looked
around. and then resumed its nap. Pardy
amused himself during the next few minutes
In trying to hit the snake again. but without
Success and he Ind about oncluded to 60 homo
and feed his stock when he noticed something
moving In the grass below. A copperhend
about thirty inches In longth wriGgled out
and made straight for the stone pile behind
which lay the blacksnake. Pardy flung another
pebble and succeeded in striking tho sleeping
| blacksnake 1t raised Its head Just as the
copperhend reached tho top Of tho stone pile.
ass lost M tSonshs his
he G. S shee
@ an Sr nS na aaI tho at bsef
pariecty willing to Quo arht,, the copper,
tho copperheaI hest lated; to stay on the stone
pile was safety; to descend meant a battle for
@ hs n Mns R n sas two
feet and n half longer than the coprsnrhend.
hut the lattcrs poison fangs nnd weight more
tlun coupon stated tor tho inequality in length.
The natural hatred. however. Tor its black foe
trumvhrd. AMI the comprehend iorsook its
slowly tho two snakes began to circle aroun'!
each other. Gradually tho Dlacksnake worked
they wsre aout tw5 Feet nS s Then il
launched itself stE Es at Its npponc'ntt. tail
Rst an IT. hut The w w o ss
great. Again the circling cont inued. and twice
more did tho 6lacksnake SPRING but only to
cate to the blacksnake that its enemy was not
began t. crawl slowly toward tho bank of the
pond That was new 70 tho copperhend audit
III t fnnw thss hs hs w"s n oSs s
and twas evidently, unable tn decide whether
to follow or t. allow its enemy 70 return;
followed. >, That WIS what thu Llacksnako
waited. i was within twenty five feet Of tho
eopporhsad putting itself within striking dis:
BY its powerful fol ,is. the battis would DO over
The corperiicad crawed toward tho centre
toward tho ei plaeksnake's lead until it. was
within striking distance. Slowly it drew back
its head md made several slight darts ut The
and hard at the Others head. but its fanEs did
not touch it. When the sopperhScadi, :. h aa!
e"se 70 tho tail tho s
was quick on opportunity. It twisted its tail
that of its enemy and. at tho instant that tho
connerhend struck. its muscular IN tn TIM ~,
holy n nd 10 kpd IL back ward.
Then, says ,Pardy. Il saw the strangest
thing viii possibly ever sec in my life. ,o
head By the tail It giided from = crescent TO a
straigh, line and headed for tho pond. drag
struggled. 1t was no match for its black an
Just on the hS pond was
water. Vas q large granite rock: The black-
snake SGed Itself ground The tree With
the solid rock. and both tail and copper
water %S The biacEsnake retain 1i its hold on
the tree for at least three minutes. then It
rock u' and the siacksnaks had held it under
Tho. black snake loosened its tail. nncoiled
itself from the tree. and. gliding toward its
ns fo eGtrd
It's head looked around. and disappeared in
its high grass along the hillside.
Told OF Wild Geese-A Conductors Sorry
fro. Indian Territory.
DENVER. April 19-As Rock Island train
was crossing tho pralries west of Omaha. en-
route to Denver one dny last week. tho noise
OF tho train started many nocks of wild geese
from the grain fields and meadows near tho
troct Tho focks did NOT contain many birds
va 100 tb.n thirt. 49, ~. 49,. ~ auoo
but nearlya third Of the fields had wild geese
in them. The sight Of these started the man
in the smoking compartment OF one OF the cars
S'ns apo o, WHO soeso s,oos.nk Uno .ola
~. ,sIann H"' a. the beaa ' ~ We" Iasa Eta
Tho water swelled the corn until 1t burst the
hatchos off the schooner, he said. and then it
rose and spread over the surface OF the water
for miles. Thereat ducks and geese came by |
.no .nousahu anu .ie nun. .n rom tne iake
towns oy tho Dozen ana the slaughter was
had been along the strea ms OF North Carolina.