The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-08-10
1T COST HIM $50.
70 Find out That Black Snakes Are Fond Of
Wildcats.

Wildcats.
If It hadn't been that there was n
bounty of 50 head on wildcats, then, +"
said Uncle Joe Vondcrsmith II York
county, Pa, "it wouldn't have cost me a
cent 10 learn that black snakes were fond
1f wildcats AS it was, 1t cost nc 500. But
s'pose the knowledge | got was worth
the price.
~ used to peddle through the lower
counties and down through Maryland
Those are great districts for snakes, Cs-
pccially black snakes and coppcrhcads It's
fun to see folks doing their haying down
through there, especially when they re-
loading IL after IL Is cut and cured A man
will take up n forkful of dried grass, but
he won't pitch It on the wagon right
away He gives It hrec or four peculiar
shakes to rattle the snakes out Of IT, If
four or five coppcrhcuds don = tumble out,
the man amt satisfied and gives the hay
another shake It's worth going a long
Journey to see 'em load hay down there.
They never speak about big black
snakes in that country There's no usc Of
It, because there amt any little black
snakes At least you never see one un-
less you call one nine feet long little
one. They don't run much finer than
that If one is killed smaller than that, IL
is toted around as u curiosity IL was in
that stretch of territory that | learned to
talk intclliRcntly about the partiality Of
black snakes for wildcats | was driving
along one day through scrubby piece OF
woods near the York county border, and
hearing u peculiar noise at the side Of the
road | got out of my wagon to invcsti
gate In hollow stump | found nine
wildcat kittens almost rs big rs full grown
house cats
Hal har says Here's SIS for me.
sure cnOughl
While | was busy appropriating tho
scrambling and scratching young cats
out Of tho woods came the mother Of the
litter and made right for me put two
or three pistol balls into her, and that
was all there was Of the fight.
Have to call IL $50 now, says, and
| tumbled the old cats carcass into the
wagon and put the nine kittens in by her
They snugglcd down as meek as mice, and
| started on feeling good
Il had gone "a mile or so when | hap
penod to look back along the road and
saw big black streak coming toward me
like n hurricane. knew what IL was in IA
second It was ono Of the famous black
snakes Of that district | put whip to my
morse, thinking I might get away from
my pursuer, but didn't know the quail
ties of those snakes This one closed up
| the space between us so fast that he was
| almost ut the hind wheels Of my wagon
| before my horse had run five rods
| thought, of course, that the snake wanted
me, and lquickly turned over In my mind
| what was best to be done to save myself
Having often read Of travellers pursued by
wolves tossing dogs and other things from
| their slcds ns sCpS to the wolves, thu,
| gaining time and distance, n hap )
thought struck me, and Eri. bird Wild
! cat kitten IN d tossed it out to t.Ig s-i.
to see how IT. would work It worked {.
rate The snake stopped | wM'E.I ~.
my horse l.oo..ing back, s.;w tn ...a
| getting ready TO Uuyvlup the htftcn, an.
Thought was saved DuJ Just shru ..
of the woods at ono side of tigo road wht2zo
another black snake, ~ big ms the iirst,HL
went to climbing right up into the wagon
grabbed another kitten and chucEed
out and had to groan little, for it va
another 81 contribution TO snakes.
Then away went again, hoping [
save the rest of my prize money. BY an
by looked back TO see how tho land la
1t wasn't laying ut all It was all tori
up by four more immense black snakes
which We're putting in their best ticks 4
| catch me, not more than 100 yards in III,
rear. | threw another kitten out, suppus
ing the four snakes would stop and have
squabble for it But they didn't On
got it, and the other three came right on
And more snakes came out of the wood
and joined in the chase ! saw it was M
use, and so ] stood up, my horse going a
full jump, and fed those snakes wildca
kittens until tho whole nine were gUn
and | was SIS out.
was pretty near out of the woods b.
this time could see the clcarings righ
ahead
I'll save the old dead cat, by gum'
says, and clean up 81 out Of this anyhow
But | was ovcrhauled by n trcmcndou
big black snake before | got to the end 4
the woods and | knew by the humps o
him that he had at least two of the Kit
tens inside of himself already. had
give up tho old cat and went out Of thos
woods into the clearing a-humming
looked back and saw the whole caboodlo {
snakes having a grand old rough an
tumble over the body of the mother wild
cat, but | didn stay to see how IL cam
out So found out by personal obsorvt
tion that black snakes are fond of wildcat!
but 1t cost me $50 New York sun