The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-09-16
VIII IassI|le
SURROUNDED BY SNAKES.


Wanted to See Crawling Life in the
West.
Joseph Hoyt, once a cowboy but
now the millionaire owner of rich
asphaltnm mines in Indian territory,
lately told the following to Times
reporter as a snake and insect story
which he knew to be true:
"A party of us cowboys, seven in
number, were getting ready to go out
from Purcell to round up stray cattle.
Preparations were completed and the
hour had been set for departure, when
a stranger, young English traveller.
put in his appearance and begged
leave to 60 along. We hesitated about
granting his request, for the idea of
having a tenderfoot in camp was not
an attractive one. But at this juno
ture it was discovered that the English
man had an abundance of fine whistles
and tobacco in his hampers. The case
at once assumed an altogether diff
ferent aspect and our new ac-
auaintance was received with open
arms. You see. we had been drinking
the vile stuff the traders furnished SO
long that taste OF really good liquor
was regarded as thing to be desired
above all others. Our tobacco, both
chewing and smoking, was also of very
inferior quality. A Whit of the kind
the Engfishman had was pleasure we
had not experienced since we left home
and mother and the Sunday-school
years ago away back east No wonder,
then, the Englishman was welcome
guest.
"But you ask why the fellow wished
to go with us? Well, that's the anus
ing part of the matter. He wanted to
see rattlesnakes and other vernin in
abundance and thought Indian terri
tory the place to go to find the object
of his search. ! feared he would be
disappointed, but [ did not tell him
so. If had and he had turned back
in consequence the boys would never
have forgiven me. They wanted that
Engiishman TO stay with them, at least
as long as his whisky and tobacco
lasted.
But. as the event proved, my opin-
ion as to the likelihood of seeing any
reptiles was erroneous. 1t seemed as
though all the rattlesnakes. centipedes
and turantulas for hundreds of miles
around had gathered along our way to
give the stranger reception. 1t be-
came positively dangerous to go about
without a heavy walking stick as
weapon of defense. | had never seen
so many snakes in that country, al
though / had spent many years there.
Centipedes, too. were everywhere. It
seemed impossible to spend a night
without having one crawl over the
blanket One got into the coffee pot
in some way and was boiled with the
coffee and poured out to Pete Saun-
ders, the foreman of the party. Pete
was overcome, but had presence of
mind enough to ask for some of the fine
brandy, several copious droughts of
which seemed to restore him.
But no one suffered SO much from
these creatures as did the Englishman
himself. the only one of the party who
had any desire to see them. Once he
felt sure one was crawling up his back.
tore the clothes off him Fortunate
1y the venomous insect had been walk
ing on the shirt and had not touched
the skin with its poisonous legs. On
another occasion l was sleeping with |
illm and happened to wake early in the |
,norning. Looking at him was horri- |
fed to see three large centipedes in his
HAIR, which he wore rather LONG. T |
seized an end of the blanket and |
brushed them away in an instant. The i
fairly trembled when I |
told him of it. A careful examination |
of the scalp, however. failed to reveal |
any of the deadly footmarks. His long |
BAR had saved him from frightful |
death.
Like many other people, the En-
glishman did not learn easily by expe-
rience. 1t needed another lesson to |
teach him to shun poisonous insects
and reptiles. The lesson came very
soon. One of the boys foolishly direct
ed him to a cave where a great manv
snakes were said to be- He went alone
in search of it He afterward told me
the experience he had there When he
entered the cave there were no snakes
IN sight. This led him to wander a rood
distance further in. Suddenly. as if
moved by some common impulse. there
was rush OF snakes out of the walls
OF the cavity on all sides and above.
Huge reptiles fell upon the brim
of his hat and dropped to the
foor of the cave. Terror seized him
He wished to rush for the opening.
but he was afraid lest some of
the long, shiny things he saw hanoinr
between him and the mouth of the
cave should coil around him. He stood
as though rooted to the spot. Fear
made every muscle rigid. and il was
We'll that il was so. for the SLIGHTEST
movement would have caused him 70
ee bitten in hundred places Thus
ne stood for nearly half an hour. AT
the end of that time the last of the
snakes passed ont Of the cave and he
was Tree 20 go. He went directly tn
camp. lie never spoke of snakes apain.
put seemed wholly occupied with
smoking long pipe. He also mani
tested desire TO return TO the rail-
road as soon as possible Evidently he
hao had all the experience with YER
min that ne wanted-"-Chicago Times
Fighting Wrong.
Dobber tthe artistl-I have called.
Mr.. GotroX, to make confession to
"hich | am driven by the pangs of a
Snawfng conscience. l grossly de-
ceived you IN regard TO that pastoral
picture You purchased from me two
months ago.
Old Gotrox-Did, hey? How, may I
ask?