The National tribune., 1895-09-05

cattle. The first notices a snake sticks it
head outen Crawfish's shirt. an looks a
me malevolent an distrustful Anothe
sticks It's nose out up by Crawfish's collar.
p" Which you shore seems ha'nted b,
snakes, | says, steppin' back an p'intin' a
the reptiles
"'Them's my dumb companions saw
Crawfish Jim. They shares my solitude an
! loves me-
You do seem some poplar with 'em,'
| observes, for / notes at once he's clear off hi.
mental reservation, an when a mans locoec
| it makes him hostile if you deride his little
game or buck his notions.
: / took dinner with Crawfish that day
pretty good grub, too; mainly sneepmeat
salt hoss an bakin'-powder biscuit.
| watches him some narrow about these snakes
| he's infested with; l0athed of 'em nacheral
an not wantin' 'em to transfer no love to me-
! an 60 TO enlivenin' my solitude. Well. son,
this yere Crawfish Jim is same as den oi
serpents ] reckons now he has plum
| dozen slowed away in his raiment There
was no harm in 'em; bein' all bull-snakes
which is innocuous an without p'ison, fangs
, or convictions.
When Crawfsh goes to dinner he dumps
these yere folks outen his clothes an lets 'em
hustle and play round while grub's gettin
These yere little animals he says
likes their recreations same rs humans, so |
alters give 'em play spell while Pm busy
'round camp
Don't they ever stampede off none?'
asks
'Shorely not says Crawfish. Bull
snakes is the most domestical snake there is
II I'd leave one of these yere tender-hearted
creatures out over night he'd die of home
sickness"
When Crawfsh gets ready to bile coffee
he tumbles the biggest bull-snake I'd seen
yet outen the coffee pot onto the grass Then
he fills the kittle up with water, dumps in
the coffee, and sets her on the Goals to stew.
This yere particer snake says Craw-
fish, which, by the way, ! calls him Julius
Cesar, is too big to tote round in my shirt,
and so he lives in the coffee pot while I'm
away, and keeps camp for me-
Don't you have no rattlcsnakes to fondle
some?' inquiries, jest to see what card he'd
play.
80 No. he says. Rattlesnakes is all right t
good, sociable, moral snakes enouah-but
they may bite you in joke or something like
that, an there you be. No; bull-snakes is as
'fectioDate as rattlers, an don't run to
p'isen. You don't have no accidents with
EN-
Can't you bust the fangs outen rattle
snakes asks.
They grow right in ag'in,' SAYS Craw-
fish, same rs your fingernails. ] amt got no
time to go through a mathematics mouth
every day lookin' up teeth, so | don't worry
none with 'em, but jest plays bull-snakes
straight. This ycre bein' dentist for rattle
snakes has resks, which the same would be
foolish to assoom'
While grub's eookin' and Crawfish an
mes pow-wow-in' a little old dog Crawfish
has-onc of these yere no-account Office dogs
comes up an makes a small uprisin' off to
one side with Julius Cesar. The dog yelps
an snaps, an julius Cesar blows an strikes
at him, same as a rattlcsnake However,
they amt don' no harm an Crawfish don't
pay no heed
They're jest runnin' blazers on each
other, says Crawfish, AN don't mean nuthin'.
Bimeby Caribou Jim, which the same is the
dog, I'll go lie down an sleep, an Julius will
guile up agin' him to be warm. Caribou
Jim bein' dog that way, is a warm -blooded
animal, while poor julius has got cold blood
like fish. So he goes over and camps on
Caribou, an all the same puts his feet on him
for TO be comfortable
VI couIse, III Heap Interested IN tlllS
yere snake knowledge, an tells Crawfish so
But 1T sorter gets my appetite an Crawfish
saves on sheep meat an sowbelly by his dis
course powerful. Thinkin' an a-lookin' at
them blessed snalzes-cspecial at Julins
Cesar shore amt hungry much. But, as
You says, how about Crawfish Jim gettin'
killed?
lone day Crawfish allows all alone by
himse'f ( he'll hop into Wolfville an buy some
| stuff for his camp. Flour, whisky, tobacker,
airtights, an sech. What's airtights? Which
you Eastern folks is shore ignorant. Air
tights is can peaches, can tomatters, an SINH
lar bluffs.
Well, as Pm sayin', along comes pore old
Crawfsl over to Wolfville, rides in on a
burro. That's right, son; comes loafin' along
Oh a burro. These yere sheepmen is that