The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-04
WINS A FIGHT.
CHALLENGES HIM
AND Is DISPATCHED.

Next Victim, n HattAeF' As
+I,a water and Drowned - Method
of Execution Requires Infinite Pa
tience-VictOr Given a Good Home
m, Nnn Who Witnessed His
PrOwess.
From the Chicago Chronicle.
zone day. when was out observing ma
ture and NATURES ways" said Tom Gal
1owav Of Warwick, whose veracious
obroniclings have won him fame and many
invitations to have something, 81 OBJ
served a big blacksnake dart out from
the bushes and glide like a swift SHADOW
toward the pond, near the edge OF whlch
/ sat on a log.
Now, I said to myself, that snake Is
intent on showing something or other how
much smarter he is than the something
is or ever dared to be. I wonder what
il can be-
II looked ahead about thirty feet, which
seemed to be the spot for which the snake
was pointed, and then 1 observed some
thing else. and 1 had 10 smile. 1t was
big swapping turtle. The turtle was lying
on the bank, quiesceut in the sun. It's
head and its tail and its legs were housed
in its shell.
I wonder how so smart thing as a
blacksnake,' l said TO myself, can for
moment think of having fun with a great
big inanimate chunk of bone like that
For that was all the snapper was,
practically. as it lay there entirely drawn
into itself. But 1 was there to observe
and l did The blacksnake glided up to
the snapper, paused and looked it over
few seconds, and then tapped with his
head on the snappers shell, like you
might go up and knock at someone's door.
No knock at the door was answered as
suddenly as that tap of the blacksnake
was. The snapper was on its feet in less
than a second Its head shot out in front
and its tail shot out behind. The snake
had jumped back and lay on the ground
a yard away looking pleased with himself
because he had been so smart. The snap
pers big neck was fair mark for the
snake, as / couldn't help but observe.
d" If that biacksnake ever gets his coil
around that neck of yours once remark
ed to the snapper, contidentially, you'll
never return to the embrace of your ma
tive waters, and that neck is just what
that snake has in his eye, sure's you're
bornv
The snapper didn't pay any attention
to what l said, or if it did 1 failed to
observe 1t, but just glared at the snake
And the snake gave the snapper glare for
glare. Then presently he darted forward
with a hghtning-like movement straight
for the snapper's neck. Swift as he was
when the snake got there there was no
neck there to meet him. 1t had gone back
inside the snappers shell. The neck was
out again, though, before the snake flashed
by and the jaws on the end OF IL closed
on the snake like wise. III never forget
the look of agonIzed amazement on the
face of the blacksnal1e as he turned his
head and looked back over his shoulder
and saw what had happened to him. The
snapper cooked its eye around al the
snake. That was enough. The blacksnake
dropped his head and gave in. That was
the end of him. The snapper dug a hole
and buried him, then drew itself into itself
again as if nothing had happened to dis
turb IL, and once more lay quiescent in the
sun.
Well, swan TO man said I to my
se@f, 'if that snapper hasn't gone and set
itself up again!
80 / concluded to stay and observe a
while longer. BY and by what should 1 OBJ
serve coming out from a lot of stones a
rod or so beyond the snapper but a good
sized rattlesnake He came deliberately on,
straight toward the spot where the snap
stopped but climbed right on the snap
per's back, coile1 himself up and crouched
there, with his ugly head raised above the
colt and his baleful eyes fixed on the spot
where the snapper's head and neck would
be if the snapper shot them out
" And il the snapper does shoot em
out / said to myself, that snakes fangs
will be sunk into 'em just behind the ears
so quick and deep that the snapper VIII
never know what hurt il!
Il felt sorry for the snapper, for
knew it'd have to be going back into the
water by and by and it couldn't do that
without sticking its head out from its
she'll so / was on the point of rescuing
il from its peril by putting a pistol bail
through the rattlers head when l noticed
the point of the snapper's nose come slow
~ and cautiously out and presently It's
head until it was out as far as the eyes
The snake saw it. too, but 1t wasn't out
far enough for his purpose yet. and he
just waited, glazing and quivering.
could see the snapper roll it's eyes back
and take an upward glance at the snake
The prospect don't suit, and the snapper
pulled its head back into the shell again
This Interested me, and / thought had
better observe longer before took hand
in il. and have always been glad did
'"rhe snapper didn't show any disposi-
ton to stick his nose out again The
RATHER kept his head up and his eyes
fixed, so as not TO miss any chance. The
day was warm and languid. BY and by
observed that the snake was getting
sleepy. Every little while he couldn't hold
his head up any longer and he just curled
1t down in his coil and went TO sleep.