The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1895-12-04
~ COST nIM $40
tn rind out THAT Bisck snairs Arc Pond %
wildcats

III II hadn't hcrn that thcw was n
h,uutv u 81 head un wildcats, ihon,'
aid Incio joe Nundursmith II Nurh /
sounty, Pa. 81 wouldn't have cost me /
-cut to learn that black snakes were fond |
u Wildcats As II was, " cost me $50. Bu' /
spnsc the knowledge ! got was worth |
the price.
ri used 70 pcddlc through the lower
counties and down through Maryland
Those are great districts for snakes, IS
pccially black snakes and coppcrhcads. lts
fun TO see folks doing their hnying down
through there, especially when they're
loading 1t after It Is cut and cured. a man
| will take up n forkful OF dried grass hut
he won't pitch It on the wagon right
away lie gives 1t hrcc or four peculiar
| shakes To- rattle the snakes out Of It, II
| four or five coppcrhcads don't tumble out,
| the man amt satisfied and gives the hay
another shake It's worth going long
tourney to see 'em load hay down there.
"Thoy never speak about big black
snakcs in that country. There's no use OF
1t, because there amt amy little black
| snakes At least you never see one un
less YOU call one ninc feet long little
one They don't run much finer than
that. II one is killed smaller than that, II
is toted around as curiosity 1t was In
that stretch uf territory that | learned to
talk intclligcntly about the partinlity OF
black snakes for wildcats was driving
along one day through scrubby piece of
woods near the York county border, and
hearing a peculiar noise at the side of the
road l got out of my wagon to investi
gate In hollow stump | found nino
wildcat kittens almost as big ms full grown
house cats.
"'Hal hap says Here's SIS for me-
sure cnoughr
while was busy appropriating the
scrambling and scratching young cats
out OF the woods camo the mother OF the
. litter and made right fer me. l put two
or three pistol balls into her, and that
was all there was Of the fight
=" Have to call It $50 now says, and
= / tumbled the old cats carcass into the
wagon and put the nine kittens In by her.
They snugglcd down as meek as mice, and
l started ON feeling good.
y IL had gone u mile or so when hap
pened to look back along the road and
: saw II big black streak coming toward me
like q hurricane. | knew what 1t was In u
second 1t was one of the famous black
snakes of that district. / put whip to my
u horse thinking l might get away from
my pursuer, but didn't know the quail
ties of those snakes. This one closed M
tho space between us so fast that he was
8. almost at the hind wheels of my wager
before my horse had run five rods.
Thought, of course, that the snake wanted
me, and quickly turned over in my mint
what was best to be done to save myself
. Having often read Of travellers pursued b.
wolves tossing dogs and other things IRON
their sleds as sops to the wolves, thu
gaining time and distance, happ.
NJ | aud I frrnllbp1 "a wild
cat kitten and tossed it out to this snak
to see how it would work. 1t worked frs
rate. The snake stopped. whipped NJ
/. my horse. Looking back, l saw the snak
- getting ready to cnvolop the kitten, AM
thought / was saved. But just then on
of the woods at one side of the road whizzc
.. another black snake, rs big as the first, an
= went to climbing right up into the wagon
grabbed another kitten and chucked
n out and had to groan n little, for it wa
u another Sc contribution to snakes.
"Then away went again, hoping t
save the rest of my prize money. BY an
by looked back to see how the land lay
1t wasn't laying at all. 1t was all tor
up by four more immense black snakes
which were putting in their best ticks
- catch me, not more than 100 yards in I'll
rear. / threw another kitten out, suppo
ing the four snakes would stop and have
suuabblc for it, But they didn't. Oh
got it, and the other three came right oil
w And more snakes came out of the WOO
Ut and Joined in the chase. | saw it was !
use, and so | stood up, my horse going
'or full jump, and fed those snakes wilde
kittens until the whole nine were gol
oe and was SIS out
% IL was pretty near out of the woods
this time. l could sec the clearings rig
, ahead.
ts. "'Ill save the old dead cat, by gumP
. says, and clean up So out of this anyhow
But l was overhauled by tremendo
big black snake before / got to the end
the woods, and / knew by the humps
him that he had at least two of the X
tens inside of himself already. had
give up the old cat and went out of tho
woods into the clearing a-humming.
looked back and saw the whole caboodle
snakes having a grand old rough n
tumble over the body of the mother wi
cat, but l didn't stay to sec how it en-
out. So found out by personal obser'
ton that black snakes are fond OF wildca
but it cost me SEQ New York Sun.
A Clew.
"Have you heard of Jack the Slashel
said the Washington man.
NO" replied the visitor, who was gen
pressing his handkerchief against scrat
In his face What did you say the ma
Isl"
Jack the Slasher."
"H-m-mi don't know him, but gu
I've met him That must be the bar
who tried to shave me this morning.
Washington Star.