The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1896-09-25

that these colors were so happily
blended on the underneath that il
looked as II line Of pale, sea green,
was the color from head to tail. It's
eyes were placed well on the side Of
the head, and, IN color, looked as II
two enormous rubies had been placed
there.
snow, as this monster approached
the scene OF the late conflict, its mo-
tion was rapidly accelerated, and its
head kept about six feet above the
water. The scales on the side Of the
head appeared to stand well out as
does cobra's hood when the serpent
Is very much alarmed.
"The small fish, small as compared
with this monster, scattered right
and left, the only laggard being the
huge shark, which must have been
wounded by the alligator. This un.
fortunate was seized In an instant by
the snake as a terrier shakes a rat,
for fully one minute, when we saw the
head and tail part OF the poor shark
drop into the water, the middle sec.
tion dropping down the serpents
gullet.
''The breeze having gradually fresh
ened we soon ran out Of the muddy
water, and the last we saw of this
huge serpent 1t was finishing its
breakfast in very leisurely manner"
Such Is the history written, partic-
larly this history Of sea serpents. /
looked upon Captain Peabody and he
looked upon me. So far as sea SER
pents went l saw that it was not In
his gentle nature to damn with faint
praise. l tried to divert his mind
from the subject and to ask him
about other things-othcr snakes.
He commenced TO tell Of the
hfty miles OF poor, cheap, tawdry
little snakes. and then blue-cyed,
golden-haired little fairy OF six happy
summers came tearing into the cabin
like mad little tirewOrS. l asked
Miss Claire, for that is her name,
what she thought Of the snakes, aad
she gave her answer unreservedly:
Great, horrid beasts" she said.
"low long were they, little girl?'
"Oh, they were long, so long" and
she looked around the cabin to find
something long enough to compare
them to. And falling, she strodc
along the carpet ten mighty strides,
and looking up triumphantly, gave
that distance as their length. ~
Mrs. Peabody, swcet-faced lady,
smiled. She preferred to have Claire
and the captain tell the story. The
captain continued:
"Thcre was NO current" he said,
''and but little wind. There was no
sea, justan oily swell. And after en-
tering that snake pack-I don't know
What else to call it-as far as the eye
could see there was twisting, writh.
ing maze Of serpcnts.
'"rhen night came on, and blue,
glossy green and velvet black they
coled and swan and every track was
a fash OF golden fire."
The captain did not say that, but
another Ancient Mariner did, and the
description fits what he did say.
When the shadows fell, he says that
the sea was alive with phosphorescent
light from the myriads Of water
snakes flashing through the blue.
Daylight came again, with the ship
making her same languid progress
And all around the snakes were coil
ing. He fred a rifle at one and saw
the water stained with blood, out the
Others swan ON unhecding and un-
fearing.
To get away from snakes while, l
asked the captain about weather. lie
told me about a typhoon, with low
flying clouds and tumbling seas and
how his ship was decorated with com
posants during a thunder storm II
those far away seas.