The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-10-31
IN A SWALLOWING MATCH.
Snake Strategy Before the Victory Went
to the Larger and Stronger

An interesting episode in snake life
took place in the curious little store run
by o. B. Dean, where there is any kind of
a pet, either dead or alive, that the aver
age man of woman wants, and some that
none want. For year or two Mr..
Deane has had vigorous black snake in
his window, confined in a small cage
with turfed bottom. Yesterday small
which he had picked up over on the SIS
land" Without, much idea that the
black snake would eat has cousin, though
he had heard serpents were so yillainous
he had curiosity enough to try it, and
ssl;;DcG,ed the fellow into the black snakes
cage.
For a time the smaller snake lay coiled
up quietly at the side of the cage, and the
big fellow not only did not seem to notice
him, but crawled carelessly over him
once or twice. This was in accordance
with popularity noticed by Mr. Deane
in feeding him frogs. AS long as the
frogs sat quiet the snake would take no
notice of them, but the instant they hop
ped, flash! would go his neck, and the
poor animals would be doomed. So it
was with the grass snake. He didn't
seem to know a good thing when he had
it, for by and by he became inquisitive
concerning his new quarters, and stuck
up his head to look around. That settled
it. for almost as quickly as the eye could
see the black snake had fixed his mouth
around his room-mate's slender neck just
behind the head. Then he began to work
his jaws in a fashion peculiar to the
snake. They are loose-actioned affairs,
working in nearly every direction and
unjointing if necessary. He wanted to
of CO hat no would 90 n
head first for who ever heard of a snake
crawling backward? So he kept hitching
one side of his jaw and then the other
till finally he got all ready to shut up
the telescope. When the two were pre-
cisely headed-on the little fellow began
to disappear, suction taking him in and
crooked teeth preventing him from wrig-
Cling out. .. ...
But the little snake was gamy, and
made his conquer fight for his dinner.
After eight inches of him had disappear
ed headfrst, he evolved plan to stop
that method Of procedure. He wrapped
himself around the body Of his host about
four times and held on. In vain the black
snake sucked; he was like the boy that
stood on the burning deck-he did not go.
HIN" said his snakeship, this won't
do. l can't digest you comfortably this
way" And so be began to shorten him
self and swell up in the middle, as an
angle worm does when you put him on
the hook. By this means he gained an
inch or SO, which he swallowed. Then,
holding hard with his teeth, he iengthen-
ed out again and unwOund some more of
his dinner. Then he repeated the pro-
cess again and again till all but about
eight inches of the little snake had gone
in. The victim was very much alive
still, and tried new tactics. He threw
his tail around the black snakes neck in
two or three folds. He was hanging out
of his mouth at one corner, out of the
way of his teeth, and the black snake
had no purchase on him. With matters
in that state it is question of physiology
whether the grass snake would have di-
gested or would have eaten up the black
snake from the inside out. But the latter
had evidently done that thing before and
knew trick or two himself. He squrm-
ed over to the side of the cage and rub
bed his neck vigorously against the
wires, loosening the grass snake neck
lace mite. By smoking vigorously he
got the advantage of this, and soon the
last hold was broken and his victim slid
into the depths, wriggling his tail de-
family as it disappeared The process of
entombment occupied 20 minutes.
Not long after this the black snake was
as frisky as ever, and no trace could be
seen of his swallowed cousin, which was
rather strange, as the small snake was all
Of two feet long and as big around as
your thumb, while the black snake was
but four and half feet long and not more
than one and half inches in diameter
Springfield Republican.