Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1895-04-10

J0~ OstA1 ooo t.;U oAsss--- t.s-s'-- :. -----
when it's rolling. Some say the horn is
hollow and capable Of ejecting poison,
but don't know how true that is. Peo-
pie who are ignorant of how the Texas
hoopsnake is built are simply amazed
when they happen to see one change
; from crawl to roll. They can't make
, out how it is possible for tho snake to
put its ends together and roll away at
such speed unless it sticks its tail into
its mouth. You will often run across a
hocpsnake that is crawling along lei
surely, when all at once it will throw
its tail forward and go tipping of at u
speed, you imagine, that makes its head
swim. But its head is always level, no
matter how fast it rolls or how far.
"1've seen many man and boy
amrsingly taken in by hoopsnakes out
there. Every newcomer desires to possess
a specimen, and they get it into their
heads that ii is as easy rs lying to catch
one. The tenIerfoot thinks he can cap.
tUre hoopsi:ako by poking pole or
stick through the circle made by its
body. He gets fooled. however, for the
cunning snake instantly unhooks its tail,
thus Kidding itself Of the stick or pole,
runs along On its belly for a short dis
tance and then hooks into the lip again
and resumes its fro!ic with perfect free
dom. The koopsnake las ine sense Of
! bu:nor, I reckon, for it takes delight in
soaring woniei, and tenderfeet by roll
ing right Up to thcm aid dodging away
when they scream or jump. They tell
story out tl:ero of G man who ran the
handle OF u rake through hoopsnake's
circle and unlocked it. The snake got
mad, c:rEck 1T the mar aid hit the
trunk of q mesquite bush with its horn.
1t sped away then, and the Inan found
the print of its horn in the bark. He ex-
amined the hcsh often, apd be took his
oath that ii died III less than 90 days.
II once saw hoopsnal2o hanging TO
one of the hind feet of gopher. The
gopher kicked and squealed and pullod,
and the snake kept tapping it on the
head and back with its horn. The snake
couldn't have swallowed tho gopher,
and it tormented the little thing out OF
pure deviltry. Its aim with the hook
was uncrring, and it acted as il il was
tickled all ever every time the gopher
squealed. The hoopsrake's fun came to
an end very suddenly the moment an
ether gopher appeared. The second
gopher took in the situation at n glance,
ard it Immediately kopped upon The
snake and BIT it in the back OF the neck
This snake lot so OF the foot mighty
quick, and all tie lively w:;tEinSs i'm
aginahle that snake perforl-.cd il the
next eight III ten minutes. it thrashcd
the grass fiat il "a space five feet in di-
ameter, and never sew creature hate
to die IS that snake did. 1t finally I,
stretched out mcticuiess, and l cut o:i !
its horn, which had 10 hollow III it. |
The wounded gopher Was sqacal;rg in |
some brGsh, and its rescuer was trying |
hard to coax It into Il hole. hut it had |
been done fcr ly the saa':e, and it died |
in . little while.
How i. does make a to1d's cye1 lang i
Oh. when hoors1ake gets after iti !
The toad knows that it's a gone-, and IL
begins TO hop aud peep and sqCeal with
terror before the snake has touched it.
The snake is iu 70 hurry, for il knows
very we'll tia: the toad can't get out Of |
its sight, aud it takes downright coal-
fort in hearing the toad vail. 1t craT!s
and ready il throws its tail forward
and gives the toad a smart thunip be-
tween the eyes with the point of the
horn. The toad backs Up few i:Icfes
lud the snake seizcs it by Il hind foot
Then the toad kicks with its free hind
loo. and claws the grass with its front
feet. keeping up piteoas sque2liEg al
tine time. TIE snake LET'S it kick and
claw for {. spell, bat by and by kncc1:
the toad or tiI9 head till it stops kick
ing ard swallows it,
while hoo2snakc WIS handling n
toad in tEat way one spring / saw
jullsrci.o interfere. The bullsIakc OF
reXas Is a JlG headed reptile about 8
'eet long. liz body tapers ell tho way
ike :, conc, and it has two curved teeth
n the upper jaw ard IS nonpoisonous.
The hoopsnake had the toad By n hind
loot, and of coarse tie toad was max
ng all the noise it know how 10. Sud
!enIy . bullsnal;o glided out Of the bush
md struck st the hoopS2aka's middle
With lis uppsr jaw. The honpsnake in
;tantly released the toad, faced the bull-
snake and liis it cn the neck with its
norm. The blow didn't phase the ball
snake Il particle. 1t returned the attack
with q sidewirder that knocked the
loopsnakc out of the path. Tho latter
must have been very much astonished.
'or, instead CT sailing into the big fe!-
ow again, it cleared out at oTc2, and
.he buIlsrake seized the toad right away
and started SO swallow il. New York
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