Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-18
EARLY SPRING SNAKE STORY.
The Remarkable Achievements of q
Farm Hand in Getting Bit.

The Remarkable Achievements of d
Farm Hand in Getting Bit.
When the editor of the crank department
of The Star looked up from his desk to
recognize his visitor he failed at first in
recognition, but after a minute it came to
him all right. - 49,
How arc you?" he said. heartily.
Whats the good wosd in Loudoun, and
what the mischief have you done with your
whiskers?'
Moved 'eni" smiled the visitor SPRING
about got here and l didn't need 'em. But
l haven't got any time TO y aste. l come in
on my way to the train to tell You of a
queer snake story up our way.
Isn't it I. little early for snake stories?"
suggested the editor
Yes. for this years crop, but this one is
last years one. that 1 just found out
about yesterday"
Then it must be true. Go ahead with it.
Take chair, won't your
'No. I'll stand, SOS to be ready to start
when I've finished. You see last year I
had a hired hand on the farm that l never
seen till the day he asked for work. 1
needed a hand purity bad. and 1 took him
RICH. in without a word except to tell him
that if he got drunk I'd turn him off. He
said he wasn't drinking man and he went
right to work in the hay field. He WASH t
the best worker 1 ever hired, but he was
steady and we got along all right till the
fourth day he was with me. That day I
was in the barn, and heard yell. and I
run to the door and my hired man
flying around the field as If the old serpent
himself was after him. When he seen me
he headed my way, and as he went past
me 1 could see a short, stunlpy, notified
snake hanging to his leg at the ankle. He
flew around the barn. yelling at every
jump, and / took after him and caught him
in clump of woods about two hundred
yards from tine barn, where he had drop
ped. plumb tUckered out. When / got to
him the snake was gone. but the marks of
teeth Were on his leg, and 1 hustled to the
house and got a quart bottle of liquor I
keep for snake bites, and other household
purposes. and soon had him loaded down to
the guards He was sober by next mornn g
and all right, and the day after he went to
work again. He stayed with me a month
after that and left When I had work fo-
him, and 1 tell you that in the four or five
weeks l had him that Stake caught him
that same way six times, and to save our
necks We could never find the snake Some
times It would nab him by the hand when
he was workin' in the weeds, and some
times it would catch him in one place and
sometimes in another but it would always
hang on and he would run and yell and
me after him..
Now for the queer part" said the Wis
itor. taking a final squirt THE other day
l was grubbin' out that clump of bushes
and. by hockey, I seen a snake, and before
1t could move / stuck my grubbin' hoe
through it and dragged it out. and durn my
buttons. come to look at it, it wasn't moth
in but a rag snake, painted. I carried it
up to the house and as soon as my boy
seen it he whooped. and said i. was the
same snake that had BEEN feedin' on my
hired man all last harvest, and I reckon
the boy was righ.."
The editor gave the visitor a gentle haw
haw.
That's all right" said the visitor, NOV
ing away, but just let that chap try to
git work with me this year; II he don't
that a rbaoI
then amt no judge of what I'll do to
him."