The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1896-02-20
TOLD OF A PARK SNAKE.


Spot In the Asphalt Walk.
A Central park policeman was stand
ing near the entrance AZ l00th street
and Central park west the other day
looking very thoughtful, He stro<ed
the left-hand side Of his fine red mus
tache with his right forefinger and
gazed in ON abstraoted way ut the lower
rims of thu wheels Of carriages and BIZ
cycles as thcy passed.
What is weighing on your mind so
heavily?" asked an acquaintance.
The policeman turned savagely with;
None of your" Then he broke off
and said; "oh, it's you, is itg' The
savage look gave way to a half smile,
and then the serious look came back
again.
Il don't Think said he. 'sI don't
know, and, what's more, don't give a
cuss." Then he stopped talking to look
at his questioner through the corners
of his eyes. After little urging and
much hesitation he told this story:
"You asked me once If I'd ever seen
any snakes here in the park, and l told
you yes, That was early last spring,
wasn't it? Yes, / thought so. Well,
I've seen some snakes since then. May
be you would like to hear about one
that I've got to know pretty well? Yes?
Just as l thought. Let us go down this
walk ways, Iwant to show you some
thing first, Here we are. Do you see
this little knob or hummock in the
asphalt? Wen, last spring, the first
time | noticed it, it was an inch high.
You can see for yourself that it's not
more than half an inch high now. What
do you suppose wore it down so much 2"
THE scuff1ing of shoes on it," the
man guessed.
well, / rather think nit. The feet
of men don't touch the edge of this
walk twice year. Do you see that
robins nest there in that oak? Well,
the first time saw that snake it was
just swallowing the last of five eggs
that had been in that nest. know that
there were five eggs in the snake be.
cause they showed in five punches in
the snakes middle-the cuss had swal-
lowed them whole. He was black one,
by the way, and could climb like gray
squirrel.
But, as was saying, that snake had
fiye unbroken eggs in him, and ] was
wondering about what he was going
to do with them l found out pretty
soon. The snake climbed down the tree
head first and crept toward the walk
here, getting along pretty slow, for he
was only IA inches long, and the five
eggs made a pretty big load for him.
The snake came straight toward this
hummocli here, and l was standing
right here by these bushes. He crawled
around the hummock several times.
then stuck his head in this little hole
here in the asphalt, and then drew him
self up into a hump, with his tail stick.
ing in this little crack here-only the
crack wasn't so large then-and then he
stood up just like letter Q upside
down. Then he Strengthened out, and
down came one of the eggs on to that
hummock there. I heard the shell
break. The snake raised up again and
another egg was broken, and SO on until
there wasn't a whole egg in the snake.
That's what wore that hummock down
for all summer the snake broke his eggs
on it."
is that what made you think and
look SO seriously" the man asked, as
the policeman stopped talking.
oh, no. ] was just wondering if il
wouldn't be a good plan for us police
men to be made auxiliary observers Of
natural history here in the park.-N. y. |
Sun.