The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1896-09-09
1T COST HIM 500.
no Find out That Black Snakes Are Fond OF
wildcats.


IF it hadn't been that there was
bounty of SO head on wildcats, then,
said Uncle Joe Vondersmith Of York
county, Pa, lit wouldn't have cost me
sent TO learn that black snakes were fond
Of wildcats As it was, 1t cost INC $50. But
s'pose the knowledge l got was worth
The price.
81 used to pcddle through the lower
counties and down through Maryland
Those are great districts for snakes, cs.
pecially black snakes and coppcrhcads. It's
fun to sec folks doing their haying down
through there, especially when they re
loading it after It is cut and cured. A man
will take up n forkful of dried grass, but
he won't pitch 1t on the wagon right
away He gives it hrce or four peculiar
shakes to rattle the snakes out of it. II
four or five coppcrhcads don't tumble out,
the man amt satisfied and gives the hay
another shake. It's worth going u long
Journey to see 'em load hay down there.
They never speak about big black
snalcs In that country. There's no use Of
H. because there amt any little black
snakes. At least you never see one un
less you call one nine feet long little
one. They don't run much finer than
that II one is killed smaller than that, it
is totcd around rs u curiosity. 1t was in
that stretch of territory that l learned to
talk intelligently about the partiality Of
black snakes for wildcats l was driving
along one day through a scrubby piece of
woods near the York county border, and
hearing peculiar noise at the side of the
road l got out of my wagon to investi
gate In a hollow stump l found nine
wildcat kittens almost as big as full grown
house cats.
"'Ha hal says Here's SIS for me-
sure enough!'
while l was busy appropriating the
scrambling and scratching young cats
out of the woods came the mother of the
litter and made right fer me. put two
or three pistol balls into her, and that
was all there was of the fight.
Have to call it $50 now l says, and
l tumbled the old cats carcass into the
wagon and put the nine kittens in by her
They Struggled down as meek as mice, and
started on feeling good
Il had gone "a mile or so when 1 hap
pened to look back along the road ard
saw big black streak coming toward me
like hurricane. l knew what it was in a
second. Ii was one of the famous black
snakes of that district. put whip to my
horse, thinking l might get away from
my pursuer, but didn't know the quail
ties of those snakes. This one closed up
the space between us so fast that he was
J almost at the hind wheels of my wagon
before my horse had run five rods.
! thought, of course, that the snake wanted
me, and 1quickly turned over in my mind
| what was best to be done to save myself
Having often read of travellers pursued by
| wolves tossing dogs and other things from
! their sleds rs sopS to the wolves, thus
| gaining time and distance, q happy
thought struck me, and l grabbed wild
! cat kitten and tossed it out to this snake
TO see how it would work. 1t worked first
rate. The snake stopped. whipped ur
my horse, Looking back, saw the snake
getting ready to envclop the kitten, and
l thought was saved But just then out
of tho woods at one side of the road whizzed
another black snake, as big as the first, ant
went to climbing right up into the wagon
grabbed another kitten and chucked il
out and had to groan little, for it was
another 50 contribution to snakes.
Then away | went again, hoping tt
save the rest of my prize money. BY ant
by looked back to see how the land lay
1t wasn't laying at all. 1t was all tori
up by four more immense black snakes
which were putting in their best ticks tt
catch me, not more than 100 yards in thu
rear l threw another kitten out, suppos
ing the four snakes would stop and have
squabble for it. But they didn't. On,
got it, and the other three came right on
And more snakes came out of the wood
and Joined in the chase. l saw it was NJ
use, and so l stood up my horse going a
fun jump, and fed those snakes wildca
kittens until the whole nine were gon
and l was SIS out
Il was pretty near out of the woods b,
this time l could see the clearings RICH
ahead.
I'm save the old dead cat, by gumP
says, and clean up 50 out Of this anyhow!
But l was overhauled by a tremendou
big black snake before l got to the end 0
the woods, and l knew by the humps OF
him that he had at least two of the kit
tens inside of himself already. l had t
give up the old cat and went out of thos
woods into the clearing a-humming.
looked back and saw the whole caboodle c
snakes having a grand old rough an
tumble over the body of the mother wild
cat but l didn't stay to see how it cam
out. So found out by personal observa
ton that black snakes are fond of wildcats
but it cost me SEQ New York Sun.