Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1898-01-12

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the snake turned and made OF toward
the window. Stoffles trotted lightly
after, obviously interested in its
method of locomotion. Then she
made long arm and playfully dropped
paw upon its tail. The snake wrig-
gled free in moment, and coiling its
whole length, some three and d half
feet, fronted this new antagonist.
At the very first moment, I need
hardly say, I expected that one short
stroke of that little pointed head
against the cats delicate body would
quickly have settled everything. But
one is apt to forget that snake can
move but slowly and awkwardly over
smooth surface, such as tiled or
wooden floor. A snake that "darts'
when it has nothing secure to hold on
by, only overbalances itself. This par
ticular reptile, perhaps by some in
stinct, now wriggled itself on to large
aud thick fur rug about twelve feet
square, upon which arena took place
the extraordinary contest that fol-
lowed.
The audacitv of the cat astonished
me from the first. I have no reason
to believe she had ever seen snake
before, yet by o sort of instinct she
seemed to know exactly what she was
doing. AS the Dryad raised its head,
with glittering eyes and forked tongue,
Stof1es crouched with both front paws
in the air, sparring as I had seen her
do sometimes with large moth. The
first round passed so swiftly that NOR
tai eye could hardly see with distinct
ness whathappened. The snake made
dart, and the cat, all claws, two
rapid blows at ITS advancing head.
The first missed, but the second I
could see came home, as the brute,
shaking it's neck and head, withdrew
further into the rug. But Stof1es
crept after it, with an air of attractive
carelessness which was instantly re-
warded. A full two feet ofthe Dryad's
body Strengthened like black arrow,
and seemed to strike right into the
fury side of its antagonist-seemed, 1
say, to slow-going human eyes; but
the latter shrank, literally fell back,
collapsing with such suddenness that
she seemed to have turned herself in
side out, and became the mere skin, of
q cat. AS the serpent recovered itself.
she pounced on it like lightning, driv-
ing at least half a dozen claws we'll
home, and then, apparently realizing
that she had not good enough hold,
sprang lightly into the air from off the
body, alighting about yard off.
There followed aminute of sparring in
the air; the snake seemingly half
afraid to strike, the cat waiting on its
every movement.
Now the poisonous snake when pro-
voked is m irritable animal, and the
next attack of the Dryad, maddened
by the scratchings of puss and it's own
unsuccessful exertions, was so furious,
and so close to myself, that I shud-
dered for the result. could not have
left my position on the sofa without
almost treading upon Stoffies, whose
bristling back was not yard from my
feet. At last, I Thoughts the Blue
Dryad, for one second coiled close as
black silk cable, sprang out the next
au straight and sharp as the pistonrod
of an engine-this lump of feline vanity
and conceit is done for, and-I could
not help thinking-it will probably be
my turn next! Little did appreciate
the resources of Stoff1es, who without
change in her vigilant pose, without
wink of her fierce green eyes, sprang
backward and upward OIL to the top Of