The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-05-06
SOME QUEER FIGHTS.
How an Oyster Killed a DucL and a Toad Pr
n Srake 10 iIight.
From ne CIere'qnd PIam DelIc,

hroW !" oFrsfE w " I" " " tOA0 PR
n Srakc 10 Flight.
From The Cleveland FlaH Dedlc,
Il have witnessed some queer fghts IN M,
time" said my friend, The u%ntrrUl,t n l..
leaned back In his armchair in n o,sry co,lay.
at Spring Lake. and been told OF others oqrayv
strange aud they were not between mon a,
nations, either.
"Who were these combatants?"
"Brasis. birds and fish. The domestic ana
the Wild. and very often these two rll,N.
pitled against each other. ! once heard \.
terrible outCry among the geese swimming
on a pond. and on "uing to see what the matter
way, bcl"ld an immense gray eagle which had
buried has talons in the back OF an an,lep,
cauder. The latter was making all the ucs.
he could. and on seeing me-. swan Directly
toward me. The eagle tried to rise with m,
prey, bat his purchase on the wind was ppt
strong enough to III the load. When tbsv
were Within reach. | seized the bird and held
his head under water until he va, drowned
The old gandcr then gave Il satisfactory sQuawS
and wadlled of toward the barn
When 4 was a little fellow was one day
foolin. about a village blacksmith shop. which
was built Of logs 4 squeak down in on" corner
attracted the attention of the smith and nv.
Sell, We saw a large toad backing into is
room from under a log, and "A fitcrn-inCh garter
snake camC with 1.-THE snak" having sva.
lowed one of the toad's hind legs, The black.
smith caught up IA pair Of rather warm tong,
and caught the snake. which dropped he tad
With great %alacrity. We expected 10 scc tho
latter hop away. but instead Of doing that
he turned about. leaped into the air and cane
l..n -, thn Gpuln's bnpl Ia Ilt % T., "a
again. and at last the reptile turned tan aal
disappeared under the log, Willie his tuaG,hN
sat down and Linked at US buth III sallstod
and victorious content.
The epcakcr spun story after story, Of lrcer
encounters he had seen or been tod about.
ono of these was a fight between n nuniic uce
| and II locust. The bee vert for liz cuoi
which evidently felt The "loint, Of 'nG a'laot,
was too much for him They fell To the around
together, and the tussle continued for q lev
minutes, when both fell over rs If, exhausted
| In u little while the lee revived aud few arrv
| with the ar of one who hnl paid Got.IN ir -
victory Ike locust was left dead ulou IL
turf There was also u hen which had raitci
a brood, which a'OrGod SOM entertainment
| for II colonY Of rats installed ~ tho nelgGtu'-
hood After three or four of the chih- IIl
| disappeared, the hen tegnn 10 open Ter eve,
and beng oien, they r'siGn on ,irra IAt net
YVES rdEing M TO q small fowl thar was in
slccting a crust Of bread. Before the rat
| krrw where lie was Al. he found a fat ant angry
hon Ujon hi back. durHint away WIZ ''ai
| AID dawS \ morcut later he found himself
| lifted into the air. and then Chuok"d into the
| water Of a convenient tub, and held there Until
| he wa. drowned.
! side in adjoining stalls, down in fnon VALLEY,
! Pa. The former v IL Of so,lablc nature, NI'''
| her companion was moruse whenever 10
| got rpar 10 the opon board r%H'tit'n the COW
| would thrust tlt her tongue and torch M. 1'Gr
| His reception of this rleasantrr ought Z" '.'s
warned her, but II Gidiit one GAY %" vas
| on watch, and when the long 'sd t,ner" 90" a
| through the opening, lie seized II between -
| teeth, and biz about six inches OF II clean n,
| The COW had g. be L lied
Tn" oyster that whipped n duck WAS proha-
nas tho fowl himself Tn" oyster was enjoy;
| irg hi meal, and after the fashion of h~ ..il
| had opened his shell, Until the greater norton
Of his body if il can hc called that was u.
vcalrd 10 view. The duck was n diver, and
| when he -yW a iuiCy oyster open 20 ~ aG-
vauc"e, hc made q .uHp for IL But ttehNal''
was TOO 0nick. The shells spapr"d i"f'lo r.
and then came y struggle for life. TIL" .N-''-
was dragged from il bed, with thr'" 'luoII'-
ones diuEing to il, hut the bunch hid w'i' I
cro'rl to keep Mr. Divers head under water
That. a pretty lie. was my natural com.
mcu'
There i no liz about il. me body Of tGs
duck he'd the whole outfit up and kept il uil"a',
and u" duck wa~ picked NJ hy a friend e. nine
vn,ic tn" body was stll warm
"a heard q = fiCh, between a hen nnd . h3wk
! llHI SHOWED lllpNIHil'hl I'IlI'h ire W. WI
was Ipa,efully scratching away W'tu her brood,
when there was n whrr If wings IN tHo air.
and p hawk, with hIs wings close to his bouN.
landed among TIE frightened Title Ones. Tie
hen lnid uUt her plan of campaign and never
waNered IN carry tug II out. Her wings EXTENDED.
the feathers rrOn her tough cid UeC; became n
unic. end 81" met tie lHvk leaC'irreiurN'
| As'Cuu Ia he touched IT," ground she went f"r
lun, There WIS IN exciting round. and uri
went with courage that tine. tt" hem hcH
entered the eye q her OpIuL"Tl penetrated
bis brain and laid him lifclr q, at ler feet. l'
measured inst four feet from tp to TN
90" once saw a large Nplfer and Il ~'rGiI spl'"r
IN pursuit ~ a housPilv. The sT1ll one c0ug. :
him. and lad started fer his r'rlrr WHOM y "
big spider bounced down GT,u him onNH,"i
the fly and started Cn TIE 'il'io o. zen
crepi mp in the rear, ht tie 'tl'r fellow IN
t,c leg and rGr 2way. The blg i'iiow t'car
10 swell M GnC "A less than five MINUTES wa
Cead. 4 lawk va, seen to EvUOu ro"u into
n poultry yard, steal a hen and ty to the ley
of "A tree, \ swallow pCCied ~ the hawk until
he let 90 cf Tire Len rlCre swallows gov m
and IN "A fow minutes ICY had drive "a t.o iHuk
~ the ground and FILLED II /" rocking its cv"'
ont. IN q fight between . ram nd - ~
the bird ps,ked his eyes ont, i He'd with hcok
and C!aVg and th.n - rGng NJ 10 her Iorr1
and Chart-d. Poll" waits "a cracker