The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-11


whisky for a big snake. and a pint for
little one. Nearly al the Kansas snakes
happen to be large ones, requiring repeti-
tion Of quarts. In the drug stores one hears
of scores of the most ANA ing adventures
with rattlers, but elsewhere these croa-
lures remain out of sight. as they did in
the days of the poet who wrote:
Oh, boys. who gather flowers and strawber
rles on the ground
Fly hence; a cold snake lies hidden in the
grass.
This is truly the way Of snakes. This
habit of hiding is one of the reasons why
we fear them so much.
Last fall, when the woods were dressed
in their most gorgeous raiment and the
air was so still that as ones skif foated
on the water every leaf was seen reflected
on its surface, the sloping shores ap-
peared as if they belonged to another
world The only motion or sound was
when a trout leaped for a fly and caused
a ripping circle Something seized the
fish, and instantly there was a rush of
the writer's line through the water.
Whatit was he could not tell but il pulled
stoutly as he raised his rod. Very soon
he saw that he had hooked a rattlesuake
IL was coiling and twisting in the water.
and as the line was tight it came
into the boat. Soon it was loose. and
the boat. 1t made no attempt to attack
Laying down the rod, the writer took
the paddle, thinking that he might throw
the snake overheard. He tried to do this
but the snake slipped from The blade and
again Coursed around the bottom OF the
boat. Then it began rafting and kissing.
Now thouhgt the writer, here is an
opportunity for experiment If that fell
low can Jump or spit, | am in a bad box
adj Of hn
side of the boat; it slipped out of the
writer's hands and went several feet out
into the water.
Then a sudden feeling as if cold water
was running up and down the writer's
back came, but, as the snake was careen-
ing around the boat again he thought
only to take care of his feet and legs The
snake came TO coil again, and the writer
looked at him squarely in the eyes 1t
Kissed, and its forked tongue played like
a red cloud, so swiftly it moved and quiv-
cred. 1t made no attempt to jump 1t
threw the upper part of it's body against
the end of the rod, and bit it. but it did
not spit or attemptItO move from its coil a;
meanwhile the buzzing of the rat
tie was continuous. There was
no room to hit deadly
blow. Again it went round and round the
boat, finally coming to rest with its
head under the writer's feet. He slowly
raised his leg, placed his feet in position
anG dashed IL down TO hit its head with
his heel The snake was too quick for
him. II turned so that his heel came
down on its tail, and like a fash, it struck
at him, burying its teeth in the coarse
linen overalls he was wearing. Instantly
he caught it by the neck close to the head
and tore it of. The snake had not Bit
ten him, but the fang had remained in
the cloth.
Examination of the fang and the mouth
the next day showed that the poison
gland had come out with the fang It
was not larger than sweet pea A
young chicken pricked with the point of
a needle dipped in the fluid of the gland
died IN few minutes. The skin minus
the rattles, which were crushed in the
strife is one of the yellow varieties, and
nearly three feet long. 1t is interesting
to note that these snakes will take fish
They will SWIM like fish, and dive and do
other aquatic feats, and will take young
ducks on the water and are eager hun
tiers of frogs along the banks of a
pond. In the most elevated part of the
southern mountain region, in which these
reptiles are supposed to be exceedingly
numerous, as they are all along the Blue
| Ridge range of mountains, especially in
| Pennsylvania, stories of hundreds being
| taken in one den at one time are current
But in ten years, mostly all spent in this
locality, the writer has seen only seven,
| and has heard of only one person icing
bitten, and that was child, who recov-
cred. 1t seems probable that the greater
mum Der of the snakes in existence are to
be found in that vast space which is
known as imagination.