Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-06
RACE WITH A BLACksNAKE.
Story Told to Appreciative Groups Mt
Smokers Gap.

From the Washington Star.
One day during the summer several ma
tiyes as we'll as a few ''boardin' men" were
amusing themselves by telling tall stories
in the postoffice at Suckers Gap. While
so engaged. Old Man Nubbins dropped in.
chewing tobacco like a threShing machine,
as usual. He listened awhile. and, finally,
after copious eXpectoration. asked:
Ever hear about Busby's race with
blaCkSnaRe?'
Now. Old Dubbins had a local reputation
as a yarnspinner to be upheld and. al
though the story was familiar enough to
some, there was chorus of
mo; tell us about II.
The patriarch chuckled at the reminis-
cence, and went on: Busby lived bout
five miles up the pike. and good bit of
his land was along the foot of the noun
tain. He used to pasture his horses in
field right along there, which was separat-
ed from his house by two other fields,
though he always druv The animals along
the pike to get 'em in and out the pastur-
age. Well, sir, he was the feardest man
of snake l ever hear Of. Seems that he
had bad scare from one when he was
boy, and he never could git over his feelin'
of horror at the sight of EN-. An he al
ways KEEP out their way-when he could"
and the old man shook with the laugh he
couldn't keep down.
What happened to him, Mr.. Nubbins?"
asked the dude. much interested.
After recourse to the spittoon. the narra-
tor continued: "One Sunday evenin' after
supper he went over to the field to git one
of the team, as he was goln to the meetin'
some miles up further. The sun had got
behind the Blue Ridge, and it was sort
of twilight where the horse was. After
chasin' him about 4 bit. Busby was Just
goin to round him up, when he heard n
rustic behind him. He Civ quick glance
backward and there was big black snake
a-rearin' up and almost on him. Well. sir.
BuSby let out a yell that most scared the
old nag to death and took out across the
field like a quarter horse.
"Over the fence he fairly flew. and. as he
made the jump, he saw out the corner of
his eye that turrible snake right behind
him. Gentlemen, BuSby wasn't a young
man, but he burnt the wind, tell you He
TUX the second fence with only one hand
touchin' and he went across the field only
hittin' the high places, and every time he
cut n quick glance behind him, there was
Mr.. Snake right with him.
"Busby was praying as he made the last
fence. and when he went over it he struck
the groun' a-runnin', but the snake was
still with him. Busby was beginnin' TO Civ
out, and he thought if he could only reach
the porch the pesky thing would leave
thing he see before hittin' the groun' was
that big black snake, and he felt it fall
across him-aS big as 4 fence rail. il SEEM
ed to him. Busby closed his eyes broke out
in a cold sweat and held his breath. wait
ing for the bite, but, as he felt none he
cautiously opened his eyes and looked at
the snake. Then he sat up quick and be-
gan 10 beat at it like as il his arms were
fails, all the time a-cussin most shame
full"
Old Nubbins couldn't go for laughing, or
maybe he was slyly holding the denoue-
ment Just out of reach. in order to arouse
last anyway. and the dude asked eagerly:
did he kill the snake. Mr.. Nubbifis?'
Nav" chuckled the raconteur; ''he call
ed his boy to bring out the gun and shoot
bin runnin' away from the bride handle
on his shoulder"