The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-22
The story of a Serpent.

II see there have been of them sea
serpent yarns started again." said the
man from Potato creek. 1T do beat all
how that lie comes out in the spring as
reglar as bluebirds an sasafras tea"
''Oh, you don't believe there amt no sea
serpent, eh?" said the man with the ginger
beard.
IVY, no. Did you ever see one?"
The grocer looked at the clock and saw
that 1t was within half a minute of the
hour when he was accustomed TO close the
store and go home and he locked the back
door with considerable unnecessary noise
The man with the ginger beard disregarded
the hint and began:
while 1 can't say 1 ever see a sea SER
pent L seen a serpent in the Great Salt
Lake. which amounts TO purity much the
same thing, SEEM that the lake is salt"
The grocer gave it up in disgust and
contented himself with glaring at the man
from Potato creek, who had started the
trouble.
This critter 1 see in Salt lake." con-
tinued the man with the ginger beard,
was, as nigh as / could jedge, about
471a foot long. He may a-been a few inches
shorter or longer, more or less"
did he have yaller wffskers?" asked
whiskers of some sort or other, 1 notice"
The man with the ginger beard was quick
to catch the insinuation in the grocer's
question about the color of the serpents
whiskers. He gazed at the grocer till the
merchant began shifting from one foot to
the other and back, and said:
mo, he didn't have no yaller whiskers,
an what's more. he didn't have the keen
brains that ginerally goes with decorations
of that kind. Fact is. m the way he acted,
1 doubt he didn't even have enough sense
TO weigh out mackerel an sugar a pair
O. rusty scales an hold four aigs in the
| one hand an three in t'other when he was
| buyin aigs from some near-sghted wilder
an countin' em fer half a doZent. But
| this amt no whiskers story"
| The grocer looked furtively at the hands
| that were accused of legerdemain and
showed the suspected members into his
| pockets. The man from Potato creek
looked at him and grinned.
"As I was sayin'" resumed the man
| with the ginger beard this here snake
was about forty foot long or so, an thin
| an fat like a ribbon. When 1 see him
first. he was layin' out on top the water.
| sunnin' hisself. Then what does L do like
| dern fool but shy a rock at i'm. Then
what does he do, but throw hisself into
| the shape of a corkscrew an begin rollin'
| overnover Understand? Course. in the
| shape he had put hisself, that there mo-
| ton sent him along through the water
| list like the screw on one Of them ocean
! steamers An the worst of IL was, that
| he was comm right straight fer me. There
| stood, about sixty foot up the shore,
| plum paralyzed with fright, watchin' him
| come IT want morn about two twists
| an he was on shore. an if he hadn't ben
| sich a fool-not fifteen TO keep a crossroads
| grocery as 1 said before-my younguns
would of been orphants mighty sudden
THAT would of been tough-on YOU
! said the grocer but the man with the GIN
ger beard paid no attention and continued:
well. YOU see he come fer the shore
with that there propeller motion.
an it worked so we'll in the water that he
| lowed il was the proper thing on shore,
an there's where he made his mistake
Soon as he struck the ground, stead OF
uovin' forrard, the motion he had on his
self jist rolled him over an over sideways
an / spect he might of been rollin' along
Wit. If ne hadn't struck a sandy spot. Wher
he got to that he kinder sunk in a little
an got a little holt. an begins spinnin
faster than ever. Howsomever. the heat
of the sand. combined with the friction
got up by his high speed, soon dried al
| the water outn him-you know them ser
penis is about 90 per cent. water.
IT alters thought they was about 100 PEI
cent. whisky" said the grocer.
about % per csnt water. an In Iess.r
| a minute he got 50 dry that he fell all I.