The Portland daily press., 1896-12-17
THE WHITE BLACK SNAKE:
When Andy Saw 1t, Uri Knew"How to f1x-
plain the Wonder.

When Andy Saw 1t, Uri KnewsHow co hix-
plain the Wonder.
The first afternoon was at the Bruin
Hollow tavern Uri Wattels, the landlord,
bold me a bear story. IL was the story OF
bloody hand to hand fight he had had
with two big black bears, both of them
nrlier than roaring lions, and each bent
nm chawing Uri up. His description OF
the fight was hair raising, as he was COM
peIled to skin the bears almost alive be-
fore he yanouished them. The fight lasted
more than hour.
"It's blessin, said Uri, "that no Twin
thing was nigh to see that fight No eye
pould "a gazed On it an ever got over 1t. 1t
was a fight that even the lookin at was
enough to scare any Twin thing most TO
death. "
Landlord Wattels had just finished his
narrowing narrative, when strapp1ng
mountaineer, whose most striking feature
was a nose very knotty, very much swollen
and yeyy red, came in, looking as II ne was
scared. =,
"Andy." said the landlord, "what's ailin
of youS''
"Urf," replied the mountaineer, 81 seen
black snakes ghost.
The landlord looked at the man over
his speotacles moment, and then, with
out a word, walked behind his bar, poured
a big tumbler full of rum, sat 1T on the bar
and said sternly:
"Here, Andy, you shirt that. :"
Andy ssshirted" the rum withouta MUIR
muir.
"Set down." said Uri.
Andy sat down on the bench. nnd he and
4. l.. of q11nHh6r IN ST.
lence for at least two minutes. Then Url
said:
"Don't see it now, do your
"No-o-o!' replied Andy. 81 didn't SEQ
IL here. Uri. seen it on P'ison run. 1t
wasn't no flesh an blood serpent, but
spook. 1t was as big black snake as l
ever see. but it was as white as peeled hemr
locki You ought to see it glare at me, IRA
out O. red eyes, too, by jinglesp
| The landlord poured out another glass
of rum.
"Shirt that, Anayr' said he.
ANDY "shirted" it without delay. Then
the two gazed at one another again minr
ute or two. Presently the landlord said:
"Do you see it glarin now, AndyP"
"No,'' said Andy. ''I5 didn't foller me.
"Sure you don't see its'' said sUri.
"Sure as kin be-, replied Andy.
The landlord looked solemnly at the
floor and shook his head slowly now and
then. Andy sat without word ten min
utes or more, casting wistfui chances to-
ward the bottle and the tumbler on the
bar. Uri made no further movement in
their direction, and Andy went out
'sI knowed it," said the landlord by and
| by, talking to himself.
lease of the rams?' ventured to in
quire. ;.
II was hopin SO, replied Uri, "but It
amt. He seen the white black snake all
right. But it wasn't no spook. was
afeard somethin like that'd happen, an II
happened. y
looked at Uri for several minutes with
out speaking. He stood at the bar, with
worried expression on his face.
| "How could there be a white black
snake?'s asked
"You heerd me tell you bout that ter
rifyin bar fight O. mine, didn't your"
eyes,
| "You've heerd o. folks hair turnin
white in single night from ~bein scared,
haven't your"
GOTTEN"
"Well, that black snake happened to be
by an seen me an them bars a-hghtln, an
it turned white in single minute. !"
And bought the rum.--Ed Mott IN
New York Sunday Journal