Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1895-07-25

over At the vengeance II had wrought,
elaring savagely and gloating. l could
easily have saved the trout.
"'But moi said. 1t IL but retribu-
tive justicel Let II standr
'In short time the trout was dead.
The crippled grasshopper hobbled Of
Of the stone and disappeared. never
saw it again. Will somebody give me
an inkling Of what there Is In that
Sinnemahone atmosphere that makes
things have SO much more snap In them
there than things have anywhere else
on top Of earth? Even grasshoppers,
VIII some one simply give me an Ink.
ling?"
Not even the man In the red, blue,
pink, yellow, green and purple mack
NAV jacket seemed capable Of utter
ance, and the man from Sinnemahon-
ing way had to go without his inkling.
"Oh, yesl Snakes!" said he, sud
denly brought to himself. Lord I
wish my father was herel But lie isn'tl
lie couldn't be, very well. He left the
banks Of the Shinnemahone for the
same Of Jordan, some years since. Ny
father was fiddler, and II he Is play.
ing the harp half as we'll as he played
the fiddle, he isn't taking back seat
for anybody on the other shore, and
I'll bet on 1t! And how he could tell
about snakes! lisa shame the way I've
forgot most Of the things he used TO
tell me about EN-, but remember one
that may strike you as tolerable fair
showing as to what Sinnemahone
snakes were able to do in the days OF
my father. einnemahone snakes are at
the head Of the serpent race yet, Of
course, but in those days they had the
benefit Of my father, and they simply
shone.
"The blowing adder was always .
big favorite with my father. The blow.
ing adder, you know, is that interest
Ing snake that has the faculty Of fat.
tening out its head to about four times
its natural size, then putting 1t up, and
then blowing small gale from Its
mouth for a few seconds. l never knew
just what they gained by doing all
this, but they do 1t, and that's enough.
The blacksnake was another snake my
father liked, but somehow they never
liked him, but they feared him, and
when he wanted to use 'em they
knuckled right down and were used.
Once my father had pet blowing
adder and blacksnalie that he wanted
to be u pet, but which had a feeling
against being one, and just wouldn't.
1t didn't dare to rebel altogether,
though, and learned the tricks my
father taught 1t, and did them, but
kicked like a steer all the time. The
blowing adder, on the other hand, was
fonder Of tho old man than cat of
her kittens, and never lost chance to
show it, One OF the tricks my father
taught the rebellious blacllsnakc YVES
to take a match in It's mouth, reach
back ind scratch tho match on It's scaly
side, and then rise up on It's tail and
light fathers pipe as he held 1t in his
mouth, 1t was neht trick, and used
to please father next to knowing that
the little jug with the corncob stopper
in it wasn't empty
Whenever father went to his cabin
in the woods for hunt he always took
Jehosaphat and Prudence with him for
Jehosaphat was the black
snake and Prudence was the blowing
adder. Once, while out on one Of these
trips, father was taken sick with rheu.
natism in his cabin, and lay on his
bed Of straw, unable to move hand or
foot. Jehosaphat oheered up and
got clipper at once, He tumbled all
over himself, father used to say, be
felt SO good. And he felt more than
that. lie had murder in his heart.
While father lay there helpless the
wicked snake took match in his
mouth, glared like q fend in fathers
face for moment, struck the match
on his side, just the way the old man
had taught him, and then deliberately
set fire to the straw on which my father
lay helpless. With one more fendish
glare at my father Jehosaphat fed
from the cabin.
Imagine my fathers feelings lying
there unable to move, and that fire
creeping slowly toward him! He saw
no escape from horrible death. But
he didn't know Prudence, the blowing
adder That loving snake woke from
d nap In her corner, and soon saw the
awful danger my father was in. She
dashed over to the burning straw, fiat
tened out her head, and with one trc-
nendous puff blew out the blaze"
"Sinncmahone!" exclaimed the man
in the red, blue, pink, yellow, green
and purple mackinaw jacket, "let me
tell We sumpin'! That BLOWN adder