Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-02-20
THE WHITE BLACK SNAKE.
Whom Andy Saw 1t, Uri Knew How to Ex-
plain the Wonder.

Whom Andy Saw 1t, Uri Knew How to Ex-
plain the Wonder.
The first afternoon I was at the Bruin
Hollow tavern Uri Wattels, the landlord,
told mo u bear story. 1t was the story of
bloody hand to hand fight he had had
with two big black bears, both of them
uglier than roaring lions, and each bent
on ohawing Uri up. His description Of
the fight was hair raising, as he was COM
PEELED to skin the bears almost alive be-
fore he vanquishad them. The fight lasted
more than hour
'It's blessin, F" said Uri, that no livin
thing was nigh to see that fight No eye
could "a gazed on it an ever got over it, 1t
was fight that even the lookin at was
enough to scare any livin thing most to
death. +"
Landlord Wattels had just finished his
narrowing narrative, when strapping
mountaineer, whose most striking feature
was nose very knotty, very much swollen
and very red, came in, looking as if he was
scared.
ANDY" said the landlord, what's ailin
Of your
"Uri, replied the mountaineer, II seen
a black snakes ghost.
The landlord looked at the man over
his spectacles moment, and then, with
out word, walked behind his bar, poured
big tumbler full Of rum sat it on the bar
and said sternly:
Here, Andy, you shirt that"
Andy ''shirted" the rum withouta MUIR
muir.
"Set down!' said Uri
Andy sat down on the bench, and no and
the landlord looked at one another in 81
lence for at least two minutes. Then Uri
said:
Don't see it now, do your
'No-o-o!' replied Andy. II didn't soc
1t here, Uri. I seen it OIL Prison run. 1t
wasn't no flesh an blood serpent, but a
spook. 1t was as big black snake as |
ever see, but it was as white as peeled hem
lock! You ought to see it glare at me, Uri
out o. red eyes, too, by jinglesp'
The landlord poured out another glass
of rum.
"Shirt that, Andy' said he.
Andy "shirted" it without delay. Then
the two gazed at one another again min.
ute or two. Presently the landlord said;
"Do you see it glarn now, Andy"
"No, said Andy. at didn't foller me. -
"Sure you don't see itS' said Uri
''Sure as kin be, )" replied Andy.
The landlord looked solemnly at the
floor and shook his head slowly now and
then. Andy sat without word ten min
utes or more, casting wistful glances to-
ward the bottle and the tumbler on the
bar Uri made no further movement in
their direction, and Andy went out.
81 knowed 1t, said the landlord by and
by, talking to himself.
Cease of the rams?'' | yen.ured to in,
quire.
II was hopin so, replied Ur, "but it
amt. He seen the white black suake all
right But it wasn't no spook. was
afeard somethin like that ID happen, an ii
happened"
l looked at Uri for several minutes with
out speaking He stood at the bar, with /.
worried expression on his face
Chow could there he white black
snake9''' I asked.
"You heerd me tell you bout that ter.
rifyin bar fight O. mine, didn't your"
eyes"
"You've herd o. folks hair turnin
white in single night from bein scared,
haven't your
GOTTEN
'Well, that black snake happened to be
by an seen me an them b 'ars a-6ghtin, an
ii turned white in single inmate"
And 1 bought the rum.-Ed Mott in
New York Sunday journal.