The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-08-19
A WILD RIDE ON A BULL.
A Dead Snake Had Bitten the Rider
and the Case Was Urgent.
- IL q.

and the Case Was Urgent.
From the New York Sun.
Seaberry Settlement, N. Y, Aug. s.
Lem Lawson of this place is something of
a backwoods naturalist. For instance,
at time he watches the bugs under tree
| in preference to fishing for trout, even
when trout rise readily to the fly. He
| carries small turtles about in his peck
cts, and leads mice around with threads
| about their necks. He is a prime favor
! lite with the dogs about the settlement,
| because he often gives them squirrel, a
| bird, or fish; but most remarkable of
| all to many backwoodsmen was his
! former fondness for snakes. There is no
more fondness for snakes in LENS mind
now. He had an experience with one
last week to remember which is to make
Lemcshudder.
In the pasture at the lower end
of this place is n long, lank, and
very quick bull, owned by Ike
Frazier, and the bull had very
important part in LENS experience. This
bull is of mild disposition. All the
young people of the village like the beast
which they call ''Gangsy," for he allows
them to pull his horns and a half dozen or
more to get on his back while he gallops
about the lot much swifter than any of
the horses here, being guided by "gees"
and "haws" quite as readily as horse is
by reins.
Lem was going up the trail to the old
Frazier clearing on last Thursday with
three of his boy friends, when he saw a
snake of brownish black and a pinkish
belly. He picked it up, and with his
customary disregard for other peoples
feelings shook its head toward the other
boys, making them run and shout with
fear. He amused himself for some min
utes in this manner, and then, just as two
men who are boarding at the post
masters came around a bend, he
took the snake by the tail and lift
ing it high in the air, with a
quick motion snapped it. The head of the
snake fell on his disengaged hand where
twO of the teeth tore two scratches half
nch long on LENS wrist.
Lem was about to laugh at the mishap,
when one of the men raised his hand and
said
Good God! It's copperheadr'
LENS face turned pale and he stood
helpless moment gazing at his scratched
hand and then asked for whisky One of
the men brought out a half-pint flask a
third full. Lem drank it at one pull and
then started down the trail on a run.
When he disappeared the men and boys
looked again at the snake and found it
was only an unusually light-colOred gar
running for life, and concluded that he
would stop at the settlement and get
hilariously drunk.
But they were mistaken about his stop
ping there. He asked at two places for
a horse, but found the horses were back
in the woods skidding logs. Then he
came to Ike F'raziers where, hearing
shouts of boys and girls laughter, he
thought of the bull, long, lank, but, above
all, swift. Lem was going to Black Lake
village, where he could get dOctor-two
doctors if he wanted them. Rushing up
to the door he gasped to Ike, who sat
mending a broken fish rod:
"Lemme take yer bull-copperhead
bite-goin' ter die-I reckon" Ike mum
bled something in his excitement which
Lem thought was Yes" and with that
rushed out of the house, leaped the gar
den fence into the pasture, snatched a
paling from the fence, and with his best
speed ran to the bars. Tearing them
down, he rushed to the bull, surrounded
by children, swept two girls from the
bulls back and then, leaping up himself,
he began to pound the bull with the pal
ing. The bull was headed towards the
bars, while beyond was the trail to Black
Lake.
The ten miles to that town, except for
few slight knobs, is all down grade and
in some places very steep. Down this
trail Lem ana Jne Dull uaSned, leaving
the children gaping in wonder. Ten rods
from the bars his hat few off and settled
in the trail, while a flock of chickens
feeding near by ran with Tapping wings
and screaming cackle.
Ike, the bulls owner, came to the door,
with fish pole in one hand and jack plane
in the other, and shouted to Lem not to
run that critter So you blamed fool"
But Lem neither heard nor cared. To
lis mind it was a race for life, with the
odds ag'in me-