Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-29

, the wire. drawing II to the top OF the
| cage. and with a death-like grip ne pulled
| while the then enrHged RATHER Jerked ana
| twisted at the other end. The snake made
n brave and violent tight for lie, but the
odds against him were too great, and He
was extinct In thirty minutes. When II
was fully certain that the serDen'
| was dead he was cut down. ana MS
| ra;tIss and one OF his fangs taken from
him. The other fang had been broken In
some Of his combats among the brush
near Natural Bridge. The snake had
thirteen buttons, which indicated that lie
was fourteen years old
A few nights ago. while his snakeship
| was not In a pleasant frame OF mind,
| large live rat was placed In Ms cage 10
keep him company. When the serpent oD-
served the rodent he made terriDie
plunge toward him. Twice did the snake
bury his single fang into the BODY OF the
rat, and IN one minute the fuzzy-hacked
creature was with his departed ancestors.
| The serpent then literally tore the rat
TO pieces, showing a most rabid temper
| and one which Mr. Rueger thought TN
safe 10 risk under his roof.
Have you ever seen a ghost" This
rather impertnent. but decidedly ma
| tural question was asked OF Captain
w. A. Dickinson. the efficient ana rotuhd
| keeper Of Oakwocd cemetery. by Inc
writer n few days ago The two SAT III
the octagorai, glass-encased ONCE o. the
| CAPTAIN in the cemetery grounds. AMI as
the interroga ton was put, my companion
lifted his eyes with a start. but did not
! for several moments take bis mouth
| from the end Of 3
OF which was at the bottom or deep
| glass OF lemonade. slightly dashed, ana
with few sprss OF mint 10 keep the
ice from jagling ]. too. was revealing
in the middle stages Of a F. lemonade.
When the seethlng AT the bottom of the
glasses has stopped. Captain Dickinson
with a Prince-of-Wales air. wiped the
ends of his dark brown moustache, care
fuzzy deposited his thumbs in the arm
holes OF his vest. glanced nTystsrlouSIy
out among the white slabs. and SAID
mo. yes no, once thought saw
couple OF ghosts, hut | didn't Now. Tor
many years / hav" lived here In TINS
spirit-land. but never has spOok dark
ened the Threshold Of my home. While
| have immediate supervision over about
90 90 5000 OF whom were Confederate
soldiers and brave. good fellows. l have
never been thrown into fellowship wi'h
gone out ghOst-hunting have left my
firesldc on cold dark. and drsary winter
NIGHTS and strolled out amOns the silent
tombs-which. by the way. sometimes
look Ike phantoms-but | have never seen
the dancing white Ggure or the fighting
apparltion that / have read and hearh
so much about.
"Nevertheless continued the johy sn-
perlntendent, winkirB one eye IN KNOW
ing fashion II dii think one night hai
come across the genuine article. hai
been Nd to the lodge meeting and was re-
turing home late. Upon entering the
gates OF the dead city, | observed Two
long. black figures moving with heavy
tread among the graves Then. too L
heard noises; they were singing. As
neared thern-for ] wouldn't have turned
back if there had been forty instead Oh
two-I could hear plainly the good on
war-song. Tramp. tramp. tramp, hs
boys are marching and my heaft Almost
failed me. Had the soldiers section given
ND a couple Of its victims? if 50, "hst
would they DO or say upon recognizing
here one OF their old comrades? All these
thoughts and others. too. fitted through
my somewhat clou1ed brain. by fve,
s,id l. 70 myself. IN face them and
All II" continued the then animated Cap
tain. 81 turned my steps direct 70 them.
They were still carrying that good Ola
time. SO familiar TO We veterans you
know. and I'll be- hanged II J WASH
about 70 ioin in with them. when one OF
them SPOKE.
where the deuce ala You come fromE
asked he. somewhat saucily.
"'NVhere the deuce did you come from
said !. as my hat rose coupl" OF inches
above the normal position on my head.
"Tic, Well. we boys been down on
Seventeenth, his, street. an ME- paihth
II little
"Ab. I tell YOU. this gave me n power
fil LOT Of relief. I led those fellows 10
tho gates. showed them the way TO town.
and ioined the other sleepers in the heHr'
Of Oakwood" Here two more leinohaHcs
,yera ordered. and the quill-driver. deeply
IMPRESSED with the superintendent
story, drove away
THE IANKY SCRIBE