Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-05-14
TWO SNAKE STORIES.
TOLD ~ A GENTLEMAN WHO IS AWAY
UP IN sERPENToLoeY.

Snakes That Should Not He Killed-Hsv
the Black Snake Hunts and Captures It's
Food-Rescuing a Ship From . Python
who Had Calmly Takea Possession.
"Sit down and sharpen your pencil,
while I overhaul my mental shelves"
remarked Mr.. Thompson. curator of the
geological collection in the park. in an
swer to a request for some snake stories
Before giving you some Of my expert
ences want to enter protest against
the indiscriminate slaughter Of our COM
mon harmless snakes, such as the black
snake, garter snake and the like. Every
farmer should protect them, for they are
beneficial, instead IF being harmful. as
is generally supposed by large major
ity Of humanity. Any naturalist will
tell you that the food of the black snake
consists largely Of rats, mice, ETC., while
that Of the garter snake is principally
insects, such as grasshoppers, caterpil-
lars, etc.
Now for some Of my experienced In
my younger days Twas crossing Ashby's
gap, over the Blue Ridge. Virginia. in
company with an uncle of the famous
Black Horse Cavalry Ashby. We were
making portion of the ascent through
quite deep cut, when our attention
was attracted by Il toad, which rolled
instead of hoped down the side slope.
Ashby pulled up the horse and said,
There's black snake after that fellow. ,
An instant after the snake thrust his
head through the fence, and on observ-
ing us drew back. In the meanwhile the
toad had gathered himself together, and
was hopping at lively gait up the read.
Ashby remarked, Now Twill show you
something, and sprang out of the buggy
and caught the toad, which he carried a
short distance and released. Returning,
he turned the buggy and drove back
down the road some 80 steps, when we
alighted and tied the horse. Climbing
over the fence on the opposite side CT the
road to that ON which the snake had
made his appearance we stealthily work
ed our way up until we came in sight of
the point where he was first seen. Lying
down in the long grass and peerirg
through the rails, we did not have to
wait long before the snake reappeared.
He looked about for few seconds,
and then descended the slope down
which the toad had rolled, and followed
his trail up the road. On coming to the
spot where it had been picked up, he
began to circle. precisely as dog would
act on losing the scent. He gradually III
creased the size of his circles until he
struck the spot where the toad had been
put down. when he made a bee line
after it. We leaped into the road and
hurried after his snakeship, who as soon
as he discovered that he was being fol-
lowed turned up the slope and squirmed
out Of sight through the fence. Ashby
said, i am sure You are satisfied now
that black snake hunts by scent
Now shall have to take you out to
South Africa. lived in Durham, Natal,
which is about 1000 miles around the
Cape of Good Hope, up toward NADIA
gascar. One morning I received note
from the port captain, asking me to
come down to the harbor with all posi-
BILE dispatch, rs a python had taken pos
session of a German brig and was
wanted to capture it. Taking one Of my
keepers with me, 1 hurried down. and
found quite crowd on the jetty, among
which was the crew Of the brig. On in
quiry / learned that there had been q
shower during the night, and in the
morning the mate had ordered one of
the men to go aloft and shake out the
sails, in order to dry them. He started
up, and on reaching the maintop turned
and came down on the clean run. The
tar was instantly ordered to hades
and numerous other places, while the
valiant mate started aloft to attend to
matters on his own hook No sooner did
his head get ON level with the top than
he came down at gait which far ex-
celled that Of the disobedient sailor. He
instantly raised the alarm, and the en-.
tire crew lost no time in getting On
shore and spreading the report that the
rigging was full CT the biggest kind OF
snakes.
with the assistance of the port cap
tain's binoculars had no difficulty in
making a critical examination of the
| entire upper works of the vessel, which
was anchored about 100 yards from the
shore. The result was one large python,
coiled around the laps Of the main and
topmast. Borrowing sack, managed,
after much persuasion, to get two of the
crew to pull myself and keeper off to the
brig, where they left US and turned
back to the jetty. unrove the flag hal.
yards, made moose in one end Of them
and hunted around until found stout
piece Of reed some six or eight feet il
length. Climbing up the shrouds,
make my attack through the lubber's hole
by punching his snakeship with the
| reed, to the end of which had tied the
moose. He put his head down through
. the hole for the purpose Of fighting me-
when he was instantly noosed around
the neck and the halyards made fas. tc
| the ratlines. In his violent efforts to eff
feet release he drew back with such
/! force rs rapidly to choke himself into
insensibility. Calling to the keeper &c
hold the mouth of the sack open.
, watched until thought he was nearly
\ at his last Casp. when I Souirrnad mr.