The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-06-17

held the captive off warily 1t was over
powered by pressing a stick across It's
head, when 1t was grasped by
the neck and dropped into one
of the canvas bags. From the
same pool several smaller moe
casins We're captured. Then the search
for Old Davy was continued.
But he was evidently not astir, and
it was given up until the next day.
As the men emerged from the swamp
amid the glare of the acetylene lamp,
they were met by several of the col
ored people, who had anxiously await
ed their return. The picture formed
by the two canvas-clad figures, be-
smeared with mud and carrying the
bags of wrlthing snakes. as they came
from the now murky interior of the
swamp amid a glare and flash of daz-
zling white light caused momentary
silence and awe among the negroes.
waiting for ''OId Davy."
Another day had passed and added
to the store of captives. but as night
came on Snyder showed symptoms of
fever, and after imbibing substantial
doses of quinine declared he felt too
sick for nocturnal snake hunting.
Armed with the lantern his companion
went down the road alone, but not
caring to enter the swamp without
company seated himself upon a stump
and awaited the possible event of Old
Davy crossing the road. The situa-
ton was so intensely lonely that ev-
cry passing moment dragged itself
YEARLY along. The lagoon in the cane
brake began to steam slowly and
then
The watcher jumped to his feet and
experienced cold shivers by the score
The nearby vegetation rustled loud
ly, and what proved TO be, an instant
later, a frightened rabbit, pursued by
some creature of the night, scurried
down the road and outside the beam
cast by the lantern. Turning the lam
tern in the direction whence the rab-
bit came, an examination was care
fully made of the nearby locality to
discover the cause of the little crea-
lures fright. Nothing resulted from
the search. Thus another night went
by without Old Davy, nor had his
trial been seen in three days time.
Snyder partially recovered his vigor,
and snake-hunting was resumed along
the rice bitches. The collectors were
returning late in the afternoon, very
tired Snyder was explaining that he
felt hardly strong enough to go in
search of Old Davy after the evening
meal. when the distant report of a gun
caused him to stop, while his face
frightened.
The Final disappointment.
rabbit for supper" he remarked.
"The fever has eaten UP a lot of me,
but cottontail to go with this APP
petite will brace me up enough to
make another try in the canebrake. -
Supper came an hour later, but with
1t no rabbit, much to Snyder's disap-
pointment AS this was the last day
before the return North, however, II
was decided to take one more trip into
the swamp before giving up hope of
bringing the big RATHER to the reptile
house.
1t was a night born only in warm
ATTITUDES, with an absolutely motionless
atmosphere, and the landscape showing
q combination of intense blue and
black from the effect of moonlight and
shadow
Arriving at the familiar stretch OF
road the collectors were brought to a
sudden stop, for there was the familiar
trail. A thrill went through them both.
Old Davy was in the pine swamp. 1t
was only a question of waiting for him
to return. I
Turning the rays Of the lantern to-
ward the place where the snake had
left the road, Snyder sprang suddenly
forward, then stopped as IL rooted to
the spot.
A huge rattlesnake lay dead by the
roadside, it's head riddled by buckshot.
Turning the lantern upon the vel
vety body, with its richly marked
scales of yellow, olive and black, the
two companions in disappointment be-