Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-10-20
THE DRIFT OF A DAY.

The thief who stole DR.. Days
harness some time since rode into
Chelsea with it
That Harness wrapped up in the
Thief. lap robe. A man
saw the hitch strap
hanging out and asked how it hap
pened be had harness and was
afoot. The fellow said he owed
doctor bill and it took the horse
and buggy to settle it leaving him
the harness only. To the doctors
this is a more than unlikely story.
And, by the way, if that fellow
had not been captured and convict
ed, our friend of the forceps would
always have had a lingering notion
that Joe knight, city marshal, had
something to do with the disap-
pearance, because he guessed with
in.fifty feet of where the buggy
could be found-and they went
out a mile and half and found it
that night. The doctor probably
don't know that Joe can 60 out
any day and find COW or horse
he has never seen, If it has not
been stolen or driven out of the
country, with hardly ever a fall
ure. Well, those who have ridden
with him say it is fact, and nei-
ther they nor he know how he
does it. Small chance a thief has
to get away from such an officer as
that.
***
"How does she become accustom-
ed to such a mode of life?" The
circus man could
The Snake not tell how the
Charmer. lady in the side
show who manipu-
latedi the serpents ever brought
herself to perform such service.
And yet she was really attached to
her "pets" and when anything
happened to one of them was
greatly distressed. But handle
them as frequently and for as
many years as she may, there is
still an element of danger and it
was not so very long ago necessary
to cut a snake in two, which had
entwined itself around her body
and was crushing out her life, to
rescue her. Once in about two
weeks it is necessary to feed the
boas. When it is thought they
may be hungry the gate is closed
in the little wire framework en-
closing the platform on which the
snake exhibition is given, and a
young rabbit or chicken-a live
one-is placed in there. II the
snake is hungry he lazily crawls
towards his victim, and all at once
siezes it like a flash of lightning,
and coiling himself about his prey
crushes it to pulp. Next the
Jaw seems to unhinge and the rep
tile leisurely swallows the lifeless
body, consuming a deal of time in
doing so, and goes to sleep. If
not hungry, no attention whatever
is paid to the rabbit or whatever
other animal is placed in the cage.
At this time of the year, when the
weather is growing chilly, precau-
tions have to be taken to prevent
the snakes from becoming DORM
ant. To prevent this jug of hot
water is put into the locked chest
in which the snake is kept and the
reptile is wound around it. There
is a notion that the reason why
the band always plays during the
performance given with the snake
by the lady is to divert the snakes
attention and that otherwise it
would become unmanageable, and
dangerous. This is a mistake.
The band simply plays to keep
time and give a better effect to the
"act," as it is termed. The same
is true as to the knife thrower, and
the ring horses too, for that mat
ter.
***
AS the fall days approach one
thinks of the kind of hunting this
country afford
Hunting, Twenty ed twenty years
Years Ago. ago. Deer could
be seen galloping
about over the prairie everywhere
in broad day light, and along the
creeks wild turkey were to be
found in great abundance. A
party of hunters left town for the
White Oak hills ten miles west
one morning, and the next day
noon returned with nine deer, and
turkeys too plentiful and too COM
mon to count or notice. Whole
carcasses of deer were kept hang
Al