Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-05

In his hind of foot. Fact is, he was just
getting warmed up, for before could raise
the chair to hit the reptile he grabbed the
RATHER by the back. and 1t was all over be-
fore you could say Jack Robinson. All
over. that is. except the measuring and
making the old woman believe was Nanny
Howell instead of his spirit. And both was
tough jobs / tell you, for the snake meas
ured five feet eleven and nine-seventeenths
inches. and the old woman was powerful
set on being a poor lone wilder woman.
But. say that stickums a great thing,
and no man in this snake country ought to
be without 1T handy"
Story Of the Grateful Blacksnake.
Like this story of the wonderful stickum.
Manny's yarn of the grateful blacksnake
is famous among the farmers of the Ligo-
nier valley.
Zone late spring day was driving down
the mountain side with a load OF tanbark."
Nanny begins, when all at once dead
ahead saw a good-sixed log laying across
the road. These here mountain roads. as
you fellows know. amt much for driving. and
didn't want to give my gizzard any extra
shaking up by running over saw log. SO
pulled up the team and got out to lift the
log away. WELL sir, l swan, when / got
up to that log and bent down to lift 1t. I
nearly fell dead from wonder to find 1t
wasn't log at all. but whopping big
blacksnake stretched straight and stin
And that there reptile, when he saw my
wonder. just looked over his shoulder a
little and winked his near eye at me.
HE didn't make move to get out of the
way-not a bit-and after that wink he just
left himself stretched as cool as you please
across the road. 1 hate like tarnation to
kill a blacksnake knowing how they kill
rattlerS and copperS, so when l saw he
wasn't going to get out of the way and let
me pass, 1 took him by the tail, carried
him to one side and got on the wagon and
drove on.
about week later I was up on the same
road again. This time I was looking around
trying to locate huckleberry patches. so
as to be In the first picking when they got
ripe. when first thing l knew I landed in
the center of the biggest den Of rattlers
I ever hope to see. Yes, sir, there might
have been a hundred or more snakes. and
certainly not less than seventy-five Any
way. they were thick, and l knew I was
up against 1t when they all began buzzng
and coiling at once
His Hickory Stick.
IT had hickory stick I'd cut when
started out. and I laid around right and
left with 1t, knocking out RATHER every
time I struck. But the rattlers were every
where and I couldn't land the stick fifty
different places at once. SO I was getting
pretty nervous and wondering II I'd ever
see the old woman again.
well, about this time the snakes. being
| a sagacious lot. says to themselves. Well
| surround him. so as he can't run. and then
well have him. Rattlers are among the
smartest snakes alive. I heard of one once
who was a pet of a telegrapher and who
would take his masters place at the key
when he wanted to take a nap. All he'd
do was to rattle his tail on the key and
the electricity did the rest.
well. as I was saying. I was soon the
center spot in circle Of cofling. rafting
reptiles, and I was just starting to offer
for he n nv "
a whooping big black snake came bound
ing into the circle and UP to my side. Then
he stood on his tail. and when his face
came to mine-Tm over six feet in my
socks-he gave me broad wink
"'By gum.' I says. you're the same fell
Ter picked up by the tail tother day and
lifted out O. the road.
1.-THE snake nodded.
by gum I says. and believe you've
come to help me out Of this scrape In re-
turn for not running over YOU I says
1.-The snake nodded.
"'Then,' says I, you can't begin none too
soon.'
with that the reptile got of his tail
ouicker'n lightning and was at about a
dozen rattlers at once. I don't know ex-
actly how 1t happened. but sure as I am
alive and sitting here this minute and run
ming this pool room. before had been able
to lay about and kill more than half
dozen rattlers. that black snake was at my
side and standing his tail and looking
into my face and winking again.
L
about fifty or more dead reptiles and nary
a live RATHER.
Knew How to Kill.
"'By gum. says, I do believe you've
killed 'em ALL
1.-The snake nodded.
"'You saved my life,' says, and I'm
grateful
THE snake winked and nodded
Now I says. I'm going home, and
pie what I know about you, and tell 'em
If they run across you not to harm you,
because you're a friend of mine
AT that the snake Topped Off his tail,
stood on his head held his tail In the air
and shook hands with me with 1t.
"'Well so long old friend, tried and true.
Hope I'll see you soon again, I says, and
starts off.
But bless my suspender buttons il that
snake don't crawl alongside Of me. All the
time he keeps looking from right to left.
and finally l got to thinking and at last
says:
by gum, I believe you're going along
to protect me from any rattlers that might
happen along
well, sir. that snake wiggled alongside
of me for ten miles, until struck the edge
Of the town. Then he stops, puts his tall
in my hand and winks.
well I says shaking 1t. you're a
brick, you are. and hate to part with you |
But goodbye. and I'll remember you when
we meet again.
HE winks solemn like. and crawls of
the way we came. And so he left me.
But say. he was the whoppingest black
snake, and the gratefullest, ever hope to
see"