The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1895-08-03
STORIES OF THE DAY..
The Man From Arkansas Tolls . Few
nah Stories.

Prince was q great coon dog. and
Nose Harkleroads was proud Of him,
though some o. MS who kept deer
hounds used to wish he was dead. FL
nally day in August, 1893, I think
it was, q rattlesnake bit Prince on the
lip. 1t happened rear old Ferguson's,
where there Was a social gathering.
Princes head swclled up IL big as a
nail keg, and we an advised that he DO
shot, but he seemed to catch on to what
we wero talking about and sneaked off
end crawlcd under the smokehouse. It
was supposed that he would die under
there, and old Ferguson was a little
huffy when he thought Of having to tear
up the floor. He didn't have to do that,
though, for three days later Prince
crawled out. The swelling was gone out
of his head, and out Of his body, too,
for that matter, but that was because
he hadn't had anything to cat. The
cock fed him, and pretty soon he went
back under the smokehouse. Ie staid
there for a week, only coming out to
his meals, and by that time he vas fat
and strong as ever.
"Then the :Fergusons noticed that
Prince and the king snake were chums.
When the dog got entirely we'll, he and
the king snake joined forces like, and
they set out hunting rattlers. There's
no telling how many they.killed. They
cleaned up all there were around Fer
guson's place and Il good many cotton
,,,o.,+t,, owl 1--oto,, ,poon,c,,c. +hoD tI,ov
moved over to Harkleroads' and kept up
tho fight. If they found q RATHER Oh open
ground, they would hold a council of
war, and the king snake would bear
down on the enemy from the front and
Prince would tackle Kim i'll tho rear. OF
course this would confuse the RATHER.
and the first thing no knew Prince
would have him by tho back Of the
neck and shake tho life out Of him.
Then if the king snake We're hungry he
would swallow tie rattler.
Well, Prince and the king snake
kept this up till cold weather; then the
king went into winter quarters. Prince
pincd for him for q few days, then went
and brought him i'll and put him under
tho stove in old F%orguson's kitchen.
Mics Kate Ferguson wanted to Kill tho
snake, but Prince stood over it II pro-
tectod it, and it was finally decided to
let tho cog and snake alone to see what
they would do. When tie king thawed
out, he stuck his head up to Princes
nose, and they seemed to discuss the
situation then he curled himself around
Prince, and they Went to sleep. That
dog and that snake lived together all
winter, and when spring came they
went right back to killing rattlers. d.
"But the funniest thing they ever did
was to break in a team Of blue racers
and make them draw q wagon. The
children used to hitch Prince up in a
little cart they had and make him haul
'em around. Ee was an accommodating
dog, but that sort Of thing used to in
terfere with his rattlesnake hunts, and
I guess he aud the King snake considered
the matter and decided to provide sub
stitute. You know there amt any kind
of snake q king snake can't whip, and
the other snakes all know it and are
properly respectful. One day the king
and Prince came home, driving i'll front
Of them the two biggest blue racers you
ever SAW. They must have been fully
seven feet long, ard they moved along
with their heads three feet or more
above the ground. Tho king end Prince
rounded 'em up in front Of the little
wagon, which was fitted up with sta
tionary breaststrap Oh shafts that stuck
straight out. The king he showed those
racers what to do, and they did it. They
got i'll the shafts, side by side, with
their bellies pressing against the breast
strap, and about four feet Of each one
Of EN- trailing on the ground, and they
started.
did they draw the wagon? Well, I
should say SO. They yanlzed it around
like the wheels We're freshly creased,
and the king snake and Prince looked
and smiled. Finally, seeing that the
scheme worked all right, the king snake
drove the racers up to the front door,
and Prince went in the house and parked
till the children came out. Then the
king put the racers through their PAGES,
and before dark those children were us
ing q pair Of blue racers for carriage
horses, and Prince and the king were
of hunting for r~attlers. st. Louis
Globe Democrat.