The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-01
TIE INTELLIGENT TURTLE.
THINGS uARREyED WHEN 1NAKE0
KHOCakKD on IT'S SHE'LL

First . smart Blnaksnake Ca0e and
Was SurDsiseA-xext . Rather
Received IN Evea Greater Shock
Could Appreeaate Coed Home.
One day when was out Observing ma
ture and natures ways" said Tom Gaao-
way. of Warwick. whose yeracsoas enron
ic3ings have won him fame and many H.
vNaxIors To havu something. Il observed
big hsacksnAke dart out from the ousa.
e and glide ike . swift shadow toward
the pond. near the edge OF The cii0 wnxs
/ sat on a log.
Now / said to myself. THAT snake In
intent on showing something or other
how much smarter he Is than something ,
or ever dared 70 be. ] wouder what II
can be-
Il looked ahead abou. thirty feet. which
seemed to be the spot for which the snake
was pointed, and then I observed some
thing else, and ] had to sunite. 1t was
a big swapping turtle. The turtle vas ly-
ing on the bank. Quiescent in the sun Its
head and Its tail and it leGS were housed
in It's shell.
"T wonder how % smart . thing as a
blacksnake.' / said to myself. can for a
moment think of having fun With great
big inanlmate chunk Al bone hike that
For that was al the snapper was
practically. ~ It lay there entirely drawn
into itself. But l was there TO observe.
and l did The blacksnake gitded UP to
the snapper. paused. and looked II over
few seconds. and then tapped with his
head on the snappers she'll IKE you
might go up and knock ~ some ones door
No knock at the door was ever answered
as suddenly az that tap Of the blaeksnake
was The snapper was on its feet In less
than second. Its head ahot out in front
and It's tail shot out behind. The snake
had jumped back and lay On the ground
yard away looking pleased with himself
because he had been 50 smart. The
snappers big neck was q 4air mark for
the snake. a. couldn't help but observe
If that b.aoksnake ever gets has coil
around that neck Of yours once I re-
marked to the snapper. coafidenttaliy,
you'll never return to the embrace Of your
native waters. and that neck Is just what
that snake has in his eye. sures you're
borlr
The snapper didn't pay any attention
to what said or IL It did / failed to OBJ
serve II, but just glared at the snake. And
the snake gave the snapper glare for glare
Then presently he darted forward with a
iightnins-like movement straight for the
snappers neck. Swift as he was, when
there to meet him. 1t had gone back inside
the snappers shell. The neck was out
again, though. before the snake flashed
by, ana the Jaws on the end of II closed
on the snake like a wise. I'll never for
get the look Of agonized amazement on the
face OF that biacksnake as he turned his
head and looked back over his shoulder and
saw what had happened to him. The snap
per cooked its eye around at the snake.
That was enough. The bfacksnake dropped
his head and gave In That was the end
Of him. The snapper dug hole and bur
led him, then drew itself into itself again
as IL nothing had happened to disturb it.
ard once more lay quiescent In the sun
Well. swan to man. said to N.Y.
self. If that snapper hasn't gone and set
itself up again"
80 ! concluded to stay and observe
awhile longer. BY and by what should
observe coming out from among a lot of
stones rod or so beyond the snapper but
a good-sized rattlesnake. Ho came de-
liberately on. straight toward the spot
where the snapper lay. and when he got
there he never stopped. but climbed right
on the snapper's back, co,led himself up.
and croached there. with his ugly head
raised above the coil and his baieful eyes
fixed on the spo. where the snapper's head
and neck would be II the snapper shot
them out.
And If the snapper does shoot 'em
OUT / said to myself. that snakes fanSs
will be sunk into 'em just behind the ears
SO quick and deep that the snapper will
never know what hurt IT,.
II felt sorry for the snapper. for knew
it'd have to be going back into the water
by and by. and IL couldn't do that without
sticking its head out from It's shell. 80 l
was on the point Of rescuing II from its
peril by putting pistol ball through the
rattler's head when noticed the point OF
the snapper's nose come slowly and eau
tiously out. and presently its head, until
1t was out as far az the eyes. The snake
saw 1t, too. but II wasn't out far enough
for his purpose yet. and he Just waited,
garing and qaivering. ! could see the
snapper roll It's eyes back and take an up-
ward glance at the snake. The prospect
didn't suit. and the snapper pulled its
head back into the she'll again. This In
observe longer before took a hand in II.
ard have always been glad / did
THE snapper didn't show any disposition
10 stick It's 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 nodded with drowsiness.
After awhile he couldn't hold his head up
any longer ard he just ourlea II down In
his coll and went TO sleep l declare TO
goodness, / could almost hear that snake
snorc'
II began 70 get sleepy myself, ard ia
have dropped OF to sleep too, IL some
thing hadn't begun to happen just then /
saw the point o. the snapper rose COM
Ing cautiously out Of the she'll again. Pref
~ soon the head was out SO far that I
could see the snapper's eyes The snap-
Per rolled them back. and the outlook
mast have been satisfactory, for tina head
kept on coming on. until it was on, neck
and all. The snapper began TO unfold It's
legs gently until IL had risen on all fo,Irs.
with no more fuss than II the reptile had
been raised with a hydraulic lack Then
away il started toward the pond. slow ana
cautious and carefully. as IL IL was a
trained elephant in circus walking over
Its master. IL was all done SO slick aaa
smooth that the sleeping RATHER on the
snapper's back never knew a thing about
IT, II took the snapper a good while to
get Ia TIE pond but IL got there AZ last.
with the RATHER still saoozlng away like
a drunken fiddler. The snapper slia into