The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
SNAKES.
Their Penchant for Human Society, How,
ever, Is seldom Appreciated.
Prom the 81. Louis Globe. Democrat.

From the 81. Louis Globe Democrat. al
Speaking OF snakes" said a sunburned man
yesterday, there are more OF them to the square
inch in the st. Francis River basin in Arkansas
thar, there are tddlers In Gehenna.".
Nobody had been speaking of snakes. and q
small man with a contentious chin said he
thought a man could go TO heaven even IL he
gave no heed to the Interruption. and continued
There amt any use in keeping an eye out for
snakes in the sunk lands-leastways except for
~rattlers and cottonmouths. There are so many
moccasins that II you dodge one you'll run into
t%% y osae rosa ana snS S1 r5s best st en-, lhs s,I9 Is d 10 keep riEht
you room; Moccasins amt vicious, except In
August, when they go blind, and then they are
cluded spots where II man hasn't any business
intrudinf. They are sociable, though. and as
early summer they will crawl close up 10 a man ma,
and try TO make friends.
club house On BiassEsfish BAY Bayou Mas was em sistIsS n a q
dugout cleaning fish. When he had removed
the %entrails he would reach over the side OF the
boat and wash the blood away by shaking the
know. and there was a school Of moccasins
the entrails. One big fellow-he must have been
six feet long.with a mouth like an alligator
was Dock-dropped his hand over the side OF
the boat and splashed II around In the water TO
,Es'nt the fish ,h., scales on Of i: The big snake,
Docks thumb and swallowed II. When he got
70 the fork he naturally stopped. for he couldn't
swallow his thumb. and he jerked his hand out
of the water. The snake came with IL, and for
lot Of colored man and snake In that dusout I
ever saw; 1t was hard to tell which was the
the them @Oe tasdSe gave p up Docks * the thumb s1s and c ranalsS
back into the water. and Dock scrambled
Did the snake bite the negro 2" said a
Nav, His eating teeth sorter scratched tho
TO use his fangs. The snake didn't mean any
harm; he was lust hungry and sociable. There
he's in good spirits. Many a time / have seen one
drop into a dugout from which a man was fishing.
and know as well as l know my a b cs that the
snake meant nc harm, but / never have seen a
man who would stay In the boat long enough TO
md out exactly what his fellow passenger did
and killed the snake, which. of course, precluded
the possibility OF getting an explanation.
tlesnake in a dugout once that wasn't funny.
Esst.thats the mans name-was getting out
timoer during the high, water, and was about
brake, lie WAS in the bow Of the Boat 0 snd
STOPPED over to get Z drink OF water. When he
East never could tell, but he swears that some
he hasn't quit being glad OF 1t yet for. coiIed up
In the boat about two feet in front OF the stern
n ien mae Ias a n tremendous nia rsttlesRake. East says
Hnd ! guess IL DID for u measured S feet D
inches and was as thick As the calf OF my leg.
East started TO jump overheard, but il was
early IN the spring and he knew the water WAS
cold. Besides, he didn't know but the blamed
snake might take q notiOn to stay in the dugout
All night. Tn snake had no notion OF getting
out and Was singing Its war song at a great rats
ana holding himself In readiness 70 spring as
soon a. East got within striking distance. Gall
M ,or help would have done no good, for there
wss no help 70 call within two miles. There was
an axe In the bow OF the dugout, and Fast
MsnDed IL and prepared to strike one blow al
the snake. anyhow. Did you ever try 10 stand
up IN z sassafrAs dugOut and fight an angry SIX
ioot alAmond-black rattlesnake with an axe?
~ you ever did you know how East felt. meyer
ald and | don't know, and I am not anxious 10
nhd out East knew he would have q chance 10
strike one blow, and that must be a SURE ons
adyanced as close as he dared and waited
un.il the snake gathered for its spring; then he
slIuek. Inc sharp steel met the serpent as IN
IPrang. and clsaSed its body about six inches be-
What happened for the next hour East never
AnSw. As soon a. he saw he had killed me
aks ne sqnAtted right down In that dugout
Ano LAlnLsds uksa heroine in an old-school rO-
nance Whan he came around the snake was
ssn tna ne va 20 weak and nervous that he
SGola hardly paddle to the camp, where he told
J. story and showed the snake To prove IT,"