Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1892-07-28


sum. II he had only had time he would
have disjointed himself like a lizard
and lost the three -fourths of himself
until we were out OF sight and hear
ing"
They returned TO the rendezvous and
found their two companions there. OF
course they laughed at the professor for
the tender care he took Of his treasure,
and against his vigorous protests laugh
ingly hung the specified beauty on the
branch with the other victims of the
hunt. II was impossible to convince
the professor that his little pet was
dead, but at last he consented TO leave
II long enough to join us In one more
hunt.
~ will 60" he sighed, but half of
my snake will be gone when l return,
and I am too old ever TO hope 10 capture
another specimen alive" Reluctantly
the old man followed them, frequently
casting q glance behind until they
were out of sight of the moss-covered
live-oak. They did not 20 far before
cncountering two or three lazy moe
casins summing their ugly brown bodies
by tho side OF the road. xiii them!'
shouted two voices in unison. They
were killed.
"Why not save one alive2" I asked
the stranger
because II you did," was the reply,
"thc chances are that you would get
bitten in the back Of the leg when you
least expected 1t. | would not trust
dead moccasin. have seen one with
Its back broken creep up TO man and
! try to bite him."
They succeeded in catching several
small snakes OF the garter variety aud
any quantity OF grass snakes, which
were very common.
! One little reptile, some three feet in
length and about AS large round as
mans little finger, was mainly bright
vcrmilioni its velvet back was striped
with II brilliant yellow and dotted with
black. Little white spots covered its
head and gave the appearance OF II
thousand eyes. The professor gave IL
long name and declared II was poison
Gus. II was turned over to him for safe
keeping, and hc was soon on amicablc
terms with the Misunderstanding crea-
ture, which he declared bit only upon
severe provocation.
For nearly half an hour no snake
turned up. This was unusual, and the
hunters were about TO turn back and
try another road, when negro boy OF
about eighteen came In sight and said
he had seen snakes.
just then n large king snake was OBJ
served moving in the grass at the boys
feet, and several men sprang forward.
Don't hit um, massa!" exclaimed the
boy. Use brung him out ter catch
rattlesnaltc. DE ole man got de rune
tism. an snake lie Is dc bess ting In dc
world fer um."
Suddenly behind an azalea bush some
yards ahead there was heard sharp,
rafting sound. Like fash the swift,
black body OF tho king snake darted
forward. There was n sound OF COM
motion In the bush, and an instant
later the dull brown length of an enor-
nous rattlcsnakc slowly came into the
, open roadway.
Like streak OF black lightning the
/ king snake dashed by aud rs quickly
turned and brushed across the rattlers
: diamond-marked back. His venomous
antagonist sprang Mt his foe, only to
bury his fungs in the earth. Again the
, tail shook and rafting broke the
NAillUfhhs lN lhAAlfNhdh' Nblltu lln
tail, moving nervously to and fro. The
| rafting was now continuous. Twice
, the king snake moved rapidly in cir
q Gle about his enemy, who followed its
: every movement by merely turning it's
, head, but at the second round the rat
I tier stopped Ms II to strnighten his
{ neck, and ut that instant the king
| snake dashed across the folded coil.
, Like flash the rattlcsnalsc strucl, at
, It's enemy, but sank its fangs deep into
It's own flesh. The angry reptile seemed
= 10 realize that II had inflicted death
, wound upon itself, for IL no longer
| acted on the defensive, but took the of
| fcnsive. but the king snake was too
a quick for its heavy antagonist and,
I gliding out OF the way, waited as
1 IL sprang and waiting then until
e the RATHER lay full length ON
| It's belly after striking. Finally
4 the king snake sprang upon its enemy,
9 and twining itself about it's massive
I body slowly frightened its folds until
3 the rattlcsnakc was powerlcss in its
c muscular hold Then slowly excrting
, the full force Of its powerful muscles IL
slowly CONSTRUCTED the other. There
I was n crunching sound ms the body Of
[ the rattlcsnuke was torn in dozen
I places,
c Slowly slaskcning its folds the king
= snake prepared 10 swallow It's late en-
e envy head first, but the colored boy was
r too quick for IL and seized the prize for
8 the sake Of its oil
. II was amusing to see his delight ut
D finding his glass snake whole and un-
c mOlcstcd, but his Joy was brici-liyed,
C for cuilce, the colorcd youth, stretched
Y oul hlh hand TO stroke its CLASSY coat,
i when two.thirlso Of the snake fell 20 the
n ground II had parted evenly. -Four
0 diaphrngms seemed 10 divide the body.
o At these places the vertcbrm were 30
loosely Joined that in moments Of terror
K the flesh parts. II Is an extraordinary
I provision of nature, and all were de-
j sirous Of seeing the parts join together
. again, and for that purpose laid them
i carefully ON the ground, but alasl the
I chicken snake swallowed the rear por-
D tion, and before they could cut him
h open that part OF the glass snake was
h too mutiluted to expect any reconcila-
y ton with the other. This concluded
the days sport Y. World.
!. REPUBLICAN, DOCTRINE.
n Policy Of tho Platform Of tho Minneapo-
/. lis Convention.
q The platform adopted at Minneapolis
Is Il thorough and comprehensive eN'