The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-11-02
THE MARTYR RATTLESNAKE.
Supped on Dynamite and Waited for
Pete Smith to Come and
Club Him.

Cy Perkins drove into town the other
day from Lanesboro, and sauntering
into his favorite resort remarked that
he had the most wonderful snake story
to tell that ever came out of the Susque-
hanna valley. HIS reputation for verac-
. ity is a No. l, despite the fact that some
of the most remarkable exploits of the
animal kingdom have been given to the
world through his medium. Liquid in
ducement in sufficient quantity having
been pushed his way, he began:
"1'all know Pete Smith, that works
down ter the wood alcohol factory,
don't We? Well, Pete won't be in town
for some time; in fac he's pretty close
ter climbin' the golden stairs now.
Pete, he's met with a judgment, an it
more'n half serves him right.
"Pete's all thunder on snakes, an I've
known him to cut a whole afternoons
work cause he heard there was lot of
snakes somewhere aroun'. waitin' ter be
killed. Pete clubs 'em, always, an he
amt ter be beat fer skill at snake club
bin by any man, woman or child down
Lanesboro way.
well, Pete was comm home from
work night before last when he sees a
fve-foot RATHER skin out of the brush
onto the road right in front of him.
Gee wollops! almost yells Pete. You're
my meat, Mr.. Snake Then he grabs a
big club off the road and advances on
the snake. Mr.. Snake lays there quiet
E.
He never even ratified, which certainly
did confuse Pete, who amt used to see
ing snakes, specially rattlers, take
their execution so quietly. So Pete
manoovers a bit, and makes a couple of
| fake passes at the snake ter learn his in
tentions. The snake wriggles around
some, but don't show no fight. In fac
| it seemed ter Pete as though that snake
was would-be suicide, an was invitin'
| him to put in the death blow
"'Well, Mr.. Snake says Pete, finally.
yer game is new one on me, but yer
determination is decided on, an Provi-
dence has Selected Pete Smith as the
humble instrument of his will
Then Pete rushes up and brings that
| club down kersmash on that snakes
stummick. The next Pete knew he was
sailin' through space. He heard a ter
rible noise like key of powder eXplod-
in, an as far as ne could reckon he was
| goin' up and goin' up like he was 'tached
to balloon. Pretty soon there was a
again. He came down so hard he shook
the very ground, an he declares he
don't know what KEEP his vitals in.
There wasn't no sight of that snake,
save his head, and Pete says he distinct
ly noticed a grin on it. He seen big
hole in the ground, an then he rolled
over an forgot everything.
''When we found Pete he looked as
though he'd been stamped on by herd
of wild horses. lie was mashed and
most fiat and was disgracefully naked.
Some of his clothes was still on him, but
heap more was clingin' ter the
branches of surroundin' trees. He was
cut up all over. full of bumps and
bruises and most all the bones in his
burned old carcass was bust. When he
was braced up sufficient ter talk. he'd
a been marked as the biggest liar in
Susquehanna valley only fer that there
hole in the ground and the evidences
that he'd been up in The air.
Il amt blamin' some Of YOU fer the
looks yer wearin' at this precise minute,
cause [ felt the same way when | heard
the story. but there's more comm
that's convincin'. 1t seems that down
ter Hogan's quarry, bout a mile from
where Pete met the RATHER, the foremen
left six sticks of dynamite in a open
box. When he come to take a stick out
for a blast, he found there was only
five. There was search. but the miss
in stick weren't found. Now the theory
is that that there RATHER eat the missin'
stick, swallowin' it whole. snakelike,
an was digestin' it when Pete come
along with that fool notion bout bein'
the instrument of Providence in his
head. Pete himself has got a theory
that beats all, though. He saws there
amt a man in New York that knows
more about snake character than he
does, an when | seen him this mornin'
he said:
"'Cy, Una thinkin' that snake was the
instrument of Providence, not me. I've
been murderin' snakes for 20 years
an it's plain ter me that when a raxtler
invites death without a struggle, like
that one did. it's with 4 purpose. Cy
he says, lowerin' his voice, that there
snake was martyr. He swallowed
that dynamite and then come out in the
road and laid there fer me to soak him.
He sacrificed himself fer the good of his
race, KNOWN me to be the gol dangdest
best snake hunter in these parts. His
beroism amt to go unrewarded. Cy, fer
] swear that if | ever git outer this bed.
I'll never kill another snake, an that
goes, too, Cy.' IN. Y. Sun.
Melted Cheese with Cream.
e