The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1896-10-23

slant my pet trout was aaShthB "HeiJ
about in the spring, hooked on the
deadly lure and played by the Timber
eurrant bush. Oh! but it was stroke
of genius The crippled grasshopper
stood on the edge Of stone, looking
over at the vengeance it had wrought,
glaring savagely and gloating. could
easily nave saved the trout.
''But NOT l said. 1t is but retribu-
tive justice Let it standg
''In short time the trout was dead.
The crippled grasshopper hobbled off
of the stone and disappeared never
saw it again. win somebody give me
an inllling of what there is in that
Sinnemahone atmosphere that makes
things have SO much more snap in them
there than things have anywhere else
on top of earth? Even grasshoppers.
Win some one simply give me an ink
ling?"
Not even the man in the red, blue,
pink, yellow, green and purple mack
inaw jacket seemed capable of utter
ance, and the man from Sinnemahon-
ing way had to go without his inkling.
'Oh, yes Snalsesl" said he, sud-
denly brought to himself. lord! |
wish my father was herel But he isn't!
lie couldn't be, very we'll. He left the
banks of the Shinnemahone for the
came of Jordan, some years since. My
father was u fiddler, and if he is play
ing the harp half as well as he played
the fiddle, he isn't taking back seat
for anybody on the other shore, and
I'll bet on it! And how he could tell
about snakes! lisa shame the way I've
forgot most of the things he used to
tell me about 'em, but remember one
that may strike you as tolerable fair
showing as to what Sinnemahone
snakes were able to do in the days of
my father. Sinnemahone snakes are at
the head of the serpent race yet, of
course, but in those days they had the
benefit of my father, and they simply
shone.
''The blowing adder was always
big favorite with my father. The blow
ing adder, you know, is that interest
ing snake that has the faculty of fat
tening out its head to about four times
it's natural size, then putting it up, and
then blowing small gale from its
mouth for a few seconds. never knew
just what they gained by doing all
this, but they do it, and that's enough.
The blacksnake was another snake my
father liked, but somehow they never
liked him, but they feared him, and
when he wanted to use 'em they
6nuckled right down and were used.
'Once my father had pet blowing
adder and a blacksnalxe that he wanted
to be pet, but which had feeling
against being one, and just wouldn't.
1t didn't dare to rebel altogether,
though, and learned the tricks my
father taught it, and did them, but
j 5ad like steer all the time. The
blowing adder, on the other hand, was
fonder of the old man than cat Of
her kittens, and never lost chance to
show it. One of the tricks my father
taught the rebellious blacksnake was
to take match in it's mouth reach
back and scratch the match on it's scaly
side, and then rise up on its tail and
light fathers pipe as he held it in his
|
to please father next to knowing that
the little jug with the corncob stopper
in it wasn't empty.
"Whenever father went to his cabin
in the woods for hunt he always took
Jehosaphat and Prudence with him for
company. Jehosaphat was the black
snake and Prudence was the blowing
adder. Once, while out on one of these
trips, father was taken sick with rheu-
matism in his cabin, and lay on his
bed of straw, unable to move hand or
foot, Jehosaphat cheered up and
! got clipper at once. He tumbled all
over himself, father used to say, he
felt SO good. And he felt more than
that, He had murder in his heart.
While father lay there helpless the
wicked snake took a match in his
mouth, glared like fend in fathers
| face for moment, struck the match
on his side, just the way the old man
had taught him, and then deliberately
set fire to the straw on which my father
lay helpless. With one more fiendish
glare at my father Jehosaphat fled
from the cabin.
Imagine my fathers feelings lying
there unable to move, and that fire
creeping slowly toward himl He saw
no escape from horrible death, But
he didn't know Prudence, the blowing
adder That loving snake woke from
n nap in her corner, and soon saw the
awful danger my father was in. She
dashed over to the burning straw, fiat
tened out her head, and with one ire
mendous puff blew out the blaze"
"Sinnemahone" exclaimed the mar
in the red, blue, pink, yellow, greer
and purple maclSinaw jacket, ''let me
tell ye sumpin'l That blowin' adder
mowt blowed out that blaze, but
there amt no blowin' adder, nor sweep
in gale, nor howlin' cyclone that kir
ever blow out the blaze you'll git intc
one o these days, an when We git there
jist remember that told ye SON
| Y. Sun.
A BOA'S GLEVEn TRICK.