The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1893-06-02
A SNAKE SToRy-rHE Battle ROYAL,
Editor De,nocrat-Stnr :

funit-ladcn breeze ot the olutn canie Seh-
tly stealing in the bright expanse OF wat
els that form Mississippi Sound, | SAID to
myself, this is Il good day to hnd u bee
tree. No soon L had the thought hilsfed
across my mind than to put 1t IN cXecn-
ton was in order. Taking my shotgun
and whistlng to my dog, ] started Tor the
swaml,s, little dreaming what ! should
see, before that same sun now SHINING
brightly in the heavens would SINK III
purple and gold to his rest in the western
sky. To all those who contemplate u
like expedition in these wllds, l would
say look down as well us up, for there
are other Inhabitants in these swamps
besides bees and birds, to.wit: Snakes.
Snakes of all sizes and c%oiors, from the
tiny garter snake to that most venoInons
of all . y native seIl,ents, the diamond
back ratrl snake During my Journey
through the swamp to the highlands on
the Alabama side, | killed some halt
dozen cutt0ii-mouth moccasliis, iouIu
one bee Tree and came cut OF The swamp
near the old quarantine camp 40 what Is
known us the gap" on Franklin creek.
| bad II lunch in my sbotbag and select
ing II seal on u fallen pine, proceeded
to eat, ever aud anon looking toward the
creek, which | could see, like Il lie OF
light as it went cdaylng and whirling
along to mingle Its bright waters with
those of IT'S larger brother, Esratawpa
river. While thus seated, thinking of
the blishted prospects OF our colored
brothers and sisters IN the black Derry
business OF this summer (becausc the
fire at this particular ''patch' has swept
from off the face of the earth blackber-
ries, root and branch). | became lost in
thought, my dog was doing by my side,
when quick us II fash and with Il peculiar
swish" through the high grass in front
of me. | caught sight of some bright OBJ
iect al, il passed, and only ii second or SO
INTERVIEWED when there fell upon my ears
that once heard and never to be 1, ryot-
ten sound, the aldrnm OF the rattlesnake.
Instantly | was upon my feet, and with
my gun in readiness, | cautiously ad.
vanrcd toward the sound. and as l came
nearer to it | could see the grass IN trout
of me swaying to and fro AS if something
ont OF the usual was going on. To get a
better view, | stepped upon u stump, and
what Il sight There before me, wrapped
in the death struggle, Was a monster rat
tle-snake and IL beautifully cOlored king
snake. AS they say in all pusilistic con-
, u' ,tI,.r cnml,,,S his ana w,s in The
u l" art,inir NJ, s,w,,,by w,s with
vi" L;,,,Iin ,na w,ntI LSsv. GLADLY
'iI'h L97,n r. .n,t.hinr hi. m,,,t ooLvni.
s,,, Lnt :, wns ;n,o..i7I. 70 shoot IN.
mmi;tI,,, Lill;nn III, ntLn, So wns
,o,n.I =, ca, t.H, mvs.If and wait to see
a., r..,l. ftL;. un,nn,l .tr,r,l, nv.r
.,l a,,n, ,I,o, ,,lI.l =, tLoi, ~,
E,,n,irw nIl sn,,s nj knnts m tb.ir struo.
nl, rnr 1t, mn,,ow Twn tLinws nuyzl.s,l
nm n"n w"" 81: ,,ttl.sr.too iii nnt
rev +, IIt. ,I, litt,a f,llnw thn n,lrr
was br, ccas,lrss ,tinrts !, keen her
hmn,d rn. hv nnn.tn,t dnnI;nn ami Halo.
;nm ~ sr,h wnn,nr ,s wnnlJ h,v. m,I.
lin Cn,I,i, ,,..n viii envv If ,.nmrI
no If thr main et,n,ts nt ,h,s ,oru. snake
ware IN nreyrnt the small m, fam ~rt.
,in~ hrr neck in ,Lat fataj lonn' Which
tl,n litti. rhan was inLns,,iomJv tr,in~
tn th,nw nxnr hnr hand Int ,ioGnn 30
she miobt her efforts were vain. for by
ana Isv~t,,nns n,nvo II. smcr,.d.l IN
throviu~ tl,,t rcd and ,,reen losso over
Mrs. Knttlrr,s heal aud o,ounl he,
neck TioLtpr and tioht,r h, drew RI,
lnnn. and 1onu.r and smaller crew thr
littlr snake nntil ut first nnnro,rd
to he n srnke Of three feet in lcnJth. had
orodunIIv stretched ont one foot mora a,
ns,st nuicL, nc tbonrht h. turn.l hi. tnil
oround +, small oak Iu,h near bv. and
rhe GREAT rentjl, was nt his mercy Strur.
ole as She n,iyht her. ,.tfn,ts ware ttniIl.ss
and wenker Ind wrnkrr o,ew her mnvr.
mruts and tn,ntrr wns ,he sound Of Ie,
alarm which Ir,d n.vc, onr. rr,snJ DIM,
mo The ivht mntii shn GROW sill In
The mnkiH~ nm If my vnr1irt MT .l,,nr
rI Inv ibr nn,cE mil do, ~ hnt litnr,ifH,
th. If. w,. ,.L,Lnd ont nf b., hy b,s .n,
inpncr, Mr. KinosrnEr n,nving tl. NJ,
,lo". HAT thn .],i7,tt,n w,r NOT e,wnvs +,
FL. ]s,ronon Nmw coms - mnn,snt :, ~
snsnense to lnnw what the snrvivnr NJ
,hii 6mLt ,,oniI 10 " nnx, Nv ~ w,s ,o
ronl om.am W. " u" i, tu,
io"" r,Ih"',t" ~ .L;""n 80 ,"s'
whn ",; t y " "n1 III. nrnHS -" in"
Tim " IL p"oI ,t tr"W, tho rnv "vh
. "n.o',u ",i'I nnn vnn ".
nnu II no'n n'o"ou Ut; a'In v"",'o;
ne' nou;n " Ii'so. "S ~ Ia" "'oh w.
.o'no "'"ie' im'' "u''"s ~ o""nn'i
t,o.e' snoM ins po,n h,. ,1"n os e. aa1
i""S; i"'oo = ,"l,oo .".I "'Hu =
"a s."mu o'ei 'no ae''ae ~ W Nn".t
IIs ,,'n ,n ,om ,ha h;"h "r,ss 1"i I'm;
nr T., Hnat au n" !, ,n;. hhS"',o, u.s., ~,
A. h "" mo" p"1' L.,',n ~ t,r o," Inn,
n"3 "aoitn IH,. " mnw ,nr,.,
o"' ,oo,o n'm a""si n. !,
nI ".,Gn''o" ~ n' H. 10 IT,, Nv wa, '"S,"ji"
sm n uuuc. '"I IVY w." ,in, ~,
"u ,n." "'o ~ s",,Ie ~" r. sa
onr,' WV" SJ"L h"n n..n ,,"rn.
"neei 'ne 'He, VIII" ,m M" ,w th. Siad
oe' u ~ t .no Jn'n ''" s,L ;" Inn ",r fir.
vi "i, u ' uS1r p 1891 J"J in,.ry;.w uit
Holly dnr ,In amJ nr th,t nid In,
oir' " !" for business wa,
colleu w "r" 0I m"t ,.,, ho,
shahcs S",n ~" " NJ "o,
many, ou' ueu,ocu MT",a . M V" ~,
ing me u So'u p'n ~ uIs"" c,s. .s ,n.
10y pohi"s ~ ,"H p,'I "u" 10 n"SI tt" L..
crawiea ou. an,nva %n"I r,,t,..n,n.
hii'cu nA'oS" "'"''""" ~"