The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-09
IT oosr HIM I $50.
10 Find Out That Black Snakes Arc Fond Of
Wildcats.

10 Find Out That Black Snakes Arc Fond Of
Wildcats.
IF it hadn't boon that there was
bounty of 50 n head on wildcats, then"
said Unclo Joc Vondersmith of York
county, Pa, sit wouldn't have cost mo a
cont to learn that black snakes wero fond
of wildcats. AS it was, it cost mo $50. But
Is'pose tho knowledge I got was worth
the price.
~ used to pcddlo through the lower
counties and down through Maryland.
Those arc great districts, for snakes, es-
pccially black snakes and coppcrhcads It's
fun to see folks doing their haying down
through there, especially whom they're
loading 1t after 1t is cut and cured. A man
will take up o forkful of dried grass, but
no won't pitch 1t on tho wagon right
away. He gives 1t thrco or four peculiar
shakes to ratio tho snakes out of it. If
four or five coppcrhcads don't tumble out,
tho man amt satisfied and gives tho hay
another shake. It's worth going u long
journey to SEQ 'cm load hay down there
"Thcy never speak about big black
snakes In that country. There's no use of
1t, because There amt any little black
snakes. AT least you never SEQ ono I'M
less you call ono nino feet long q little
one. They don't run much finer than
that If ono is killed smaller than that, it
Is totcd around as curiosity. 1t was in
that stretch of territory that learned to
talk tntclligeptly about tho partlality of
black snakes for wildcats. was driving
along ono day through scrubby piece of
woods near tho York county border, and
hearing n peculiar noise Mt tho side of the
road 1 got out of my wagon to inyesti-
gate. In hollow stump I found nino
wildcat kittens almost rs big rs full grown
house cats.
"'Hal hal says 'Hcro's SIS for mo,
sure cnoughp
"Whilc was busy appropriating tho
scrambling and scratching young cats
out of tho woods camo tho mother of tho
litter and mado right for me. put two
or thrco pistol balls into her, and that
was all there was of tho fight
Havo to call it $50 now says, and
l tumbled the old cats carcass into tho
wagon and put tho nino kittens in by her.
They Struggled down as neck as mice and
started on feeling good
Il had gone u milo or so when hap
pcncd to look back along the road and
saw big black streak coming toward me
like hurricane. L knew what it was in
second. 1t was one of the famous black
snakes of that district. put whip to my
horse, thinking l might get away from
my pursucr but L didn't know the quail
tics of those snakes. This one closed up
tho 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 1quicllly 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 sledS rs SopS to tho wolves, thus
gaining time and distance, q happy
thought struck me, and 1 grabbed wild
cat kitten and tossed it out to this snake
to SEQ how it would work 1t worked first
rate. Tho snake stopped. I whipped up
my horse. Looking back, I saw the snake
getting ready to cnvclop the kitten, and
l thought was saved. But just then out
of the woods ut ono side of tho road whiZzcd
another black snake, rs big rs the first, and
went to climbing right up into the wagon
1 grabbed another kitten and chucked it
out and had to groan little, for it was
another 50 contribution to snakes
Then away went again, hoping to
save the rest of my prize money. BY and
by looked back to see how tho land lay
1t wasn't laying at nil. 1t WINS oil torn
up by four moro immense black snakes,
which were putting in their best ticks to
catch me, not more thnn 100 yards in the
rear. threw another kitten out, suppos-
ing inc Jour snakes would stop and have q
squabblo for it. But they didn't One
got IT, and tho other three came right ON
And more snakes came out of the woods
and Joined in tho chase. saw it was no
use, and so I stood up, my horse going at
full jump and fed those snakes wildcat
kittens until the whole ninc wcre gone
and 1 was SIS out.
II was pretty near out of the woods by
this time / could SEQ tho clcarings right
ahead.
I'm save tho old dead cat, by gump
says, and clean up 50 out OF this anyhow'
But was overhaulcd by a tremendous
big black snake before I got to the end of
the woods, and knew by tho humps on
him that he had Mt least two Of the kit
tens inside Of himself already had to
give up tho old cat ana went out OF those
woods into the clearing a-humming. 1
looked back and saw the whole caboodlc of
snakes having n grand old rough and
tumble over tho body of the mother wild
cat, but l didn't stay to sec how it came
out. So found out by personal observa-
ton that black snakes arc fond of wildcats.
but it cost me $50. New York Sun.