The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-10-07
SNAKE AND FISH IN A FIGHT.
The Cross-Eyed Man was Fishing for Pickerei.
hnI Ont IecnllaE CntCh.

"Did Won ever see a duel between a fish and
n sraka7" asked a cros--cved man with a corn
cob pipe in his mouth, addressing a half dozen
villagers a. they sat on the platform OF the
Eric depot at Ramapo, y. Y, one evening last
week. waiting for the mail train to come in.
None Of the natives vuuchSafed any reply ana
the cross-eycd man got down 10 business,
1T vas out on the pond said he. jerking
his thumb over his shoulder In the direction
of a pretty good-sized body OF water lying
north Of the station. Il was fishing for piaerel
in a b.at with a chap from. down the road;
The day was cloudy and We had fine luck. We'd
almost made M our minds that twenty-five
Rood-si2ed FISH we're enough Tor one Gay ;
catch. and pulled for the shore when. my Trend
allowed that he would like to 'skidder a, few
times more along some lily rads Just above
the point where the oid Ice house aSed 10 10 s' Sno;
over while he stood in the bow and made ready
10 throw out his bait, the red belly OF a sunfish.
times and then a lively commotion suddenly
took place near his hook. | thought that a
big pickerel had made for his bait but knew
my God! there's a sea serpent or something
worse, and be sank into his seat
"'You chqmp., says ! getting mad. What
Sufern too long on, pay day; That must have
been a c a4FtEo saws avs he 's't trembling ali over we 4Ss Try
sort Of vaN, he added. 'Ptckerel be blovedl
Pickcrel amt black all over and they don't have
1Tv was sure tS'a, he7had EN- for fair and looked
forward 70 see what. made him collapse. but
there was nothing doing but q few rtpples on
the surface made bv what ! supposed was
a big pickerel. You're a peach OF a fisher
man saws 7. taking the pole. ~ show YOU
how 10 catch him | threw out the bait and
the water began 10 boil again,
my friend gray-headed The chap nearly fell
overheard when he clnpnad his ewes on IT the
second time and Say, Bill, let's
go home Idid not know what II was at first,
but | made up my mind that | would find out
or bust. b. this time the thing was churning
in the air al least two feet above the surface
81 the pond. grabbed an oar, banged the
thing across the back several timea and II
storred splsshinG. | lifted II into the boat
on ee blade Of the oar and my friend col
lapsed.
snake five feet long The front part was a cat
fish Weighing nearly three-QuarterS Of a pound,
That is n pretty good sized fish. YOU know
Yousee, the snake caught the fish In the shallow
water and tried 70 swallow II tail first but
made a bad Job Of II towing II to the catfsh,s
the, way down, | pulled the hsh out Of the
snakes gullet and threw overheard. The fish
was In good condition and viegled It's tail hard
as II headed for deep water.
The snake was badly crippled and lust sunk
ont Of sight. He must have been powerfully
hungry when he tackled that FISH for his lunch
and I'll bet he was mad all the way. 10 the end
Of his tail when he reached the cat fsh's horns
and couldn't swallow IL any further, The
fish made a game fight for it's life and II did
my heart good 10 be Of some use TO IL when
II needed a friend"