Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-08-12
STORIES OF THE DAY.
The Man From Arkansas Tells Few
 Snake Stories,


 Snake Stories.
 Prince was a great coon dog, and Nose Harkleroads was proud of film, though some of us who kept deer- hounds used to wish he was dead. Ei- nally one day in August, 1893, 1 think 1t was, a rattlesnalle bit Prince ai the lip. 1t happened near old Ferguson 5, where there was a social gathering. Prince's head swelled up as big as nail keg, and we all advised that he be shot, but he seemed to catch on to what we were talking about and sneaked off and crawled under the smokehouse. It was supposed that he would die under there, and old Ferguson was little huffy whon he thought of having to tear up the floor. He didn't have to dc 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 eat The cook fed him, and pretty soon he went back under the smokehouse. He staid there for week, only coming out to his meals, and by that time he was fat and strong as ever.
 "Thon the Fergusons noticed that Prince and the king snake wero ehums When the dog got entirely well, he and the king snako joined forces like, and they set out hunting fattlers. There's no telling how many they killed They cleaned up all there were around Fer gusons place and good many cotton mouths and water moccasins; then they moved over to Harkleroads' and kept up the fight If they found q rattler on open ground, they would hold council of WAT, and tho king snake would bear down on the enemy from the front and Prince would tackle him in the rear. Of course this would confuse the rattler, and the first thing he knew Prince would have him by the back of the neck and shake the life out of him. Then l. the king snake were hungry ha would swallow the rattler.
 l Well, Prince and the king snake kept this up till cold weather; then the king went into winter quarters. Prince pined for him for few days, then went and brought him in and put him under the stove i'll old Fergusonas kitchen. Miss Kate Ferguson wanted to kill the snake, but Prince stood over it and pro- teeted it, and it was finally decided to l let the dog and snake alone to see what they would do. When the king thaw. out, ho stuck his head up to Prince E nose, and they seemed to discuss the l, a,77.lrd a1f T 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.
 But the funniest thing they ever did was to break i'll q team of blue racers and make them draw q wagon. The children used to hitch Prince up ill a little cart they had and make him haul l lem around He was all accommodating dog, but that sort of thing used to in terfere with his rattlesnake hunts, and I guess he and the king snake considered the matter and decided to provide sub stitute. You know there ain t any kind of snake king snako can't whip, and the other snakes all know it and are properly respectful. One day the king and Prince came home, driving in front of them the two biggest blue racers you ever saw They must have been fully seven feet long, and they moved along with their heads three feet or more above the ground. The king and Prince rounded 'em up in front Of the little wagon, which was fitted up with sta tionary breaststrap on shafts that stuck straight out The king he showed those racers what to do, and they did it. They got in the shafts, side by side, with their bellies pressing against the breast strap, and about four feet of each one of 'em trailing on the ground, and they started
 ''Did they draw the wagon? We'll, l should say so. They yanl1ed it around like the wheels were freshly greased, and tho king snake and Prince looked on and smiled Finally, seeing that the scheme worked all right, the king snake drove the racers up to the front door, and Prince went ill the house and parked till the children came out. Then the king put the racers through their paces, and before dark those children were us- ing pair of blue racers for carriage horses, and Prince and the king were off hunting for rattlers. "-St. Louis Globe Democrat.