The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1899-10-05
Swan Lakes Snake Exit.

| BELFAST. Nj E Sept. lOtu NOUUuy DolloN-
ed there were many water snakes in Swan
Lake until Clark Marden started out to
avenge the loss of his young ducks. 1t is a
small lake of clear water in the heart OF
Waldo county. There are high hills with
orchards and potato fields on the sides
The south end borders swamp the chief
products of which are cranberries and water
snakes In the summer and early autumn
men and women in outing suits and tan
shoes &C there to get up their muscle and
lay on a coating of brdseyed freckles, gain
ing all the benefits of trip to Bar Harbor
at less than half the cost.
| No snakes were seen in the lake until the
summer visitors came. AS soon as the fish
ermen began to stock the waters with smelts
ed snakes of the swamp took on aristocra-
tic tastes, invading the lake for the purpose
of catching smelts, and soaring timid men
and women out of their wits as side issue.
Miss Minnie Colcord of North Searsport,
and three Wellesley College girls padded
to the middle of the lake one hot day in Au-
gust to catch square tailed trout and have a
long swim in deep water. AS they wore
their bathing suits, they took an alarm clock
along to notify them when it was dinner
time. 1t was harmless looking cy Under of
nickle which did not cost more than fifty
cents when new. but which was capable of
giving out SO worth of noise every time it
was wound up. After the girls had caught
all the trout they needed, they had dip in
the lake, acting as girls generally do when
they know there is no man within a mile of
them. They had lately read in book an ell
oquent discourse on how to get into a canoe
when it is afioat without tipping it over.
| No Wellesley college girl would ever dare to
follow the printed directions when there is a
man around, but here was free field with
no handicap, and one of the under graduates
III AIDE bold vault. landing on the bow of
the canoe in an attitude that could not be
called graceful
If 1t was easy to jump into the boat it was
easier to get out. With yell of snakes
and tragic uplifting of hands she fell back
into the water. Her companions ptied her
and took the needless precaution of throw
! Ing water into her face until she had regain
| ed her cOmposure. Then they took look
over the gunwale of the boat shreked
snakes in chorus and struck out for the
! cottage mile away, beating the best swim
ming record ever made on the lake. Three
man who went to rescue the abandoned
| canoe found dozen or more great banded
snakes cooled up under the thwarts among
the remnants of trout dinner. While they
We're discussing how to kill the snakes with
out iniuring the canoe a loud, metallic sound
| began TO pour out from among the sleeping
reptiles. 1t purred and whirred and ratified
| until every snake was wide awake and fran
| tic with fear They larted at one another,
| striking their yellow fangs deep into the
flesh Of their companions, and coiling and
uncoiling rapidly that the men could
| hardly take note of the movements. AS the
rafting din continued the smaller snakes
turned on the largest one and bit it so hard
that it leaped overheard for safety. followed
| by the others The men the line OF
serpents heeting across the lake and gave
chase. With man on each side to ply the
paddles and another at the stern to steer.
they made good progress, but fast as the
canoe went, the snakes gained upon them,
| reaching the shore quarter Of a mile in ad-
| vance.
The cottagers, who We're curled up in ham
mocks or sitting in easy chairs on shady
| piazzas awaiting the dinner call, We're treat
| ed to a strange spectacle the giant snake
driven from the water by the assaults of his
| companions, came up the grassy paths to the
! little village with the avengers in hot pur-
among the shruhbery with the minor snakes
behind, the aggregation making a line of
reptiles fully three rods long. Whenever
the serpentine procession crossed 4 piazza
| its passage was punctuated with yells of
terror. The men who saw the snakes hunted
up clubs and revolvers. Some of the wo-
men tainted. Others locked themselves in
their bedchambers to await a terrible death
Men who had resolved to lead better life
swore with spontaneous emphasis, some of
them at the snakes and others at the folly
of the women. When the tumult had sub
sided four of the snakes, including the
leader, lay dead upon the lawn. The others
escaped to the lake or hid away under the
cottages. Noticing a swelling midway in
the body of the longest snake it was cut
open, revealing nickle alarm clock, which
was recording the passing minutes in unruf-
fled composure.
Before this thrilling event came off Mar
den, the custodian of the grounds, had been
laying cunning plan to Stay the snakes
Marden had large fl )ck of Jung ducks
with tan bills and feet and neat outing suits
of pale green. The ducks liked to swim in
the waters of the lake and the snakes liked
to see them swimming there, because when
ever the snakes and the ducks met the
snakes had a hearty meal, and Marden's
duck tally didn't come out even. Since
quitting the swamps the snakes had fitted
up apartments for themselves in the cleft
of ledge that butted into the lake. The
entrance to these chambers was under waite r,
except in very dry season. This year the
drought, combined with big drafts made
upon the lake by the mills at the outlet had
run the waters very low, exposing the door
to the den of snakes and leaving four or five
rods of sandy beach exposed to the sun A
wet snake is not fond of crawling over hot
fine sand. The sharp grains cling to its skin,
I Mnp i