The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-10-24
TOUCHING AND TRAGIC.
Terrible Tale Told by q Truthful
Traveller That Taxed
the Teller.

Two or three of the boys had been
telling their snake experiences while
on the plains, and the red-nosed drum
mer for temperance book house had
related his hospital troubles which
terminated in his reformation. The
newcomer, who had dropped in but
an hour before, had said nothing, but
it was up to him to tell what he knew
about reptiles. He hesitated, says the
Cincinnati Enquirer. The boys urged
him, and finally he said:
tained, and I'm going to tell you a
story of an actual occurrence that
changed my whole life.
"To begin with, l was never what
you would call a mixer. / looked on
everyone and everything as my enemy,
seeking always to get the best of me.
1t seemed to be my nature. For ~
years l lived thus, making no friends
and suffering no approaches. Then
there came into my life one little shaft
of light that, to one who had never
known the love and caresses of parents
(mine had died in my infancy, leaving
me without a relative or a soul on earth
to care for me), seemed like long
sought sail to shipwrecked sailor.
"Tired of travel, I left the train
In country town in eastern Nebraska,
and registered for the night at the
little apology for hotel. When the
supper bell rang I was ushered into
dingy little room, lighted by two foul
smelling kerosene lamps hung against
the wall. Barely was I seated at
table. when the sweetest voice | ever
heard breathed out: Ham and eggs
or steak?' I looked around and there
at my side was vision of loveliness
such as was never surpassed in the
sight of angels"
But this is snakestory session."
interrupted the drummer, mot an an
gel convention"
VERY well, I'll get to the snake part
of it," replied the stranger, with a
sigh. "To make it short, the vision
was the landlords eldest daughter,
then just past IS, and within six
months l married her. We were only
for each other, and at her request we
moved onto a little ranch that bought,
about 90 miles from her native town.
For year we lived happily, then our
little daughter came to increase our
joy. A year later. when the little one
was playing by the side of a pile of
rocks, there was a warning sound, a
spring, and in few minutes our little
one was dead. The rattlesnake's poi
son had done it's work.
"Two months later my wife, mourn
ing for her babe, and just returning
from putting bouquet of sweet wild
flowers on the little mound in the
grove near our house, sat on pile of
rocks to rest. found her there three
tier on her bare arm.
"The sunshine of my life was gone,
but l still kept the recollection of it's
warm beams in my breast and stayed
on the ranch.
Zone night in the fall I was
awakened by something clammy crawl
ing over me. / jumped up just in time
to see the tail of a rattlesnake dis
appear through knothole in the cor
ner of the cabin. Several times after
that had the same experience. Final
ly watched and at last got the rep
tile cornered. just as l was about to
strike the death blow the reptile
placed it's head under its coils. lifted
up its tail and waved it. I saw al once
what he meant, and shook the tail
as I would the paw of friendly dog.
Then the snake said in words as plain
as day: "Sir, I never killed your wife
and baby; l only happened"
what" exclaimed the drummer;
"you say the snake spoke to you? I
don't believe it,
"Neither do I believe any of your
darned old snake stories," said the
stranger.
And no one said him nav.