The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-06-07

WAL, We know black snakes don't bite,
an this Teller 'peared TO be In a mighty
hurry to git away He scotted right
smack into the creek an the next minnit
he he'd hid under a lot o. roots as hung
over the bank O. the creek. It's a. durn
good thing fer me tibet he wus willln' TO
90 without givin' me a fight, fer jist stood
thar an trlmbled. | wus as weak as seven
cats an IL TUX me night onto ten minnits
TO git my senses kerlectcd When did cum
too i sees as how the fire wus all aroun'
me on both sides of the run. A stiff breeze
WIS scurryn' the flames down the creek
an the air was gittin' ALTERED hot an
smoky. L kalkerlated as how I'd best adj
lourn, what with the snakes an the fire
/ concluded that Panther run wus good
place to git away from. Then 1t list struck
me why the snakes wus so durn plenty
rount hose diggins The fire Wus a chas-
IN EN- ahead o. IL into the creek.
When / KEN to conclude this l know'd
as how I'd gauntlet to run a goin down
stream. fer knows the bank an the rocks
In the crick d be lined with the peslv crit
ters But down the crick must 70.
couldn't break through the walls o. fire
thet Wus a linin along the stream so the
only thing left fer me to do Wus TO make
tracks right squar down the middle o. the
crick. l got hold of a stout birch stick
bout as thick as my wrist an started. An
tell We, men, thet trip down tibet Pan
Their run jst made my hair stan on end
The fire KEEP a snappin' an a hissin' an
screechin out along the banks, an ye kin
bleeVe 1t or not, but on nigh onto every
stone an log an stump in thet stream
thar was a snake.
THAR wus rattlers an black snakes an
cOpperheads an water snakes They wis
a wrigglin' an a twistin' an a sdulrmin
until cd see snakes when I shut nv
eyes. / Jist cut lickety split ahead o. me
a mowin a path down stream through
them durnation snakes. An afore / got
down 10 the clearin' I was a pukin' I'm the
stencil thet the durn snakes made in the
heat I'm the fire. It's a mirakle tibet I
wusnt bit dozen times in tibet trip down
stream fer throwd RATHER after RATHER
aside so l cd step on stones or logs to
get along.
But, say, 1 sees one thing tibet WINS as
good as a circus on tibet trip 1t wus
down whar the crick widens bit Thar
wus top O. pine tree as he'd blowd off
layin' near the bank o. the run. This
Wus all ablaze. Jist at the edge o. this pile
o. tree tops / sees a ole sockdolager Of a
rattlesnake. He must a bin we'll onto six
feet long an cd see tibet he had an all
fired big string o. rattles on. An he wus
mad. Mad at the fire, fer 1t Wus a scorch-
in him purity bad. He he'd his head raised
out the coil bout two feet an he wus a
strkin' back an forth at the smoke tibet
curled out at him I'm the brush pile But
he stood his groun'. Now an then he'd
make his rattles sing like as eff they'd bin
a half dozen rattlers thar. All Of sud
dint like thar came a tongue O. fame out
o the pine top an snapped off the rattles
slick an clean. Jist Ike an ole warrior
as has lost his sword the big snake made
one last awful attack She riz up on her
tail a standin nigh onto three feet above
the grOun', then jist as q wicked tongue
]
at it. Course the varmint wus burned. an
| / sees il squirmin' in the fire as the hot
pine burs fell over on It.
Another queer thing / sees on this Ca
! sion wus a wildcat on fire. The varmint
wus an ole she cat. The durn thing came
| tearin down the side o. the hill "A spittin'
/ an a meWin', as eff a regiment o. dogs wus
arter her. But soon sees as how the fur
| on the poor devil wus a smokin'. Every
/ now an then the cat d stop an paw al
! her back, then start off at break neck
1 speed. The last thing / saw of the poor
! cuss she WIS a crawlin' into a hollow log
an arter she got in a little trail O. blue
smoke came curtin out the log. Guess
1 the varmnt burned to death in thar.
/ calkerlated as how she'd stayed with her
/ kittens somewhat whar the fire struck ZEN
until she got her fur afire an then she
/ skedaddled.
Johnny-You're the meanest, hatefulest
spitefulest thing l know!
Iommy-An' you're the crabbedest, ug-