Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-04

his partner had climbed to the top of
a high knob and were debating which
direction to take next. Just below
them was a small fiat covered with lit
tie red oak saplings, and the Sang
Digger said that there was no use to
hunt down there But after some fur
Their argument his partner plunged
down over the bank into the red oaks,
and the Sang Digger followed Near
the edge of the red oak tract the Sang
Digger discovered a few scattering
plants which he stopped to dig. In
the mean time the partner wandered
away some little distance, and soon
found a large patch of plants from
which he finally dug several dollars
worth of roots And, to cap the eli
max. the Sang Digger found in the
same locality a still larger patch.
From the two patches they dug in all
some seven or eight dollars worth
All of these plants were among tne
red oaks. but when he came to exam
inc more closely he found that near
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His adventures had been mostly
with rattlesnakes. In his hunt for
ginseng he was compelled to travel the
mountains for fifty or sixty miles
around, and his trips sometimes lasted
for weeks, at which times he would
live in the woods like an Indian One
evening he had come down a small
mountain stream until it had reached
fall, and near this he found little
lean-tocamp made by a fisherman.
1t was nearly dark and a light rain
was falling. He threw his coat and
bag of ginseng in on the dead boughs
that had made the bed for the former
occupant of the shelter, and hurriedly
prepared and ate his supper. He then
III up a good fire for the night and
went to get his coat to dry it, AS he
picked up his coat he heard rattle
snake sing out, as he expressed it,
and on making light enough to see
inside, he found a large yellow rattle
snake had rounded among the boughs
depression that was not unlike the
nest of a hen, and was lying coiled up
in this nest, with head and tail up.
But a snake that he could see he had
no fear of. and he soon killed IT, and
after determining that there were no
others in the neighborhood he calmly
lay down and slept until morning.
At another time he and a companion
had made camp at the foot of a
tramp. After eating supper and get
mountain after a long and hardy days
ting read for the night both had pull
ed off their boots to rest their feet
Just before lying down to sleep the
companion stepped outside the light of
the fire in order that he might see if
he could tell what the weather would
be on the morrow In minute the
Sang Digger heard him call in an
alarmed way for a light. The Sang
Digger snatched a burning stick from
the fire and hurried out, when he
found his companion standing with his
feet wide apart and eoiled and rattl-
ing snake exactly between them He
had known from the sound that 1t
was very near, and had not dared TO
move for fear of stepping on it. And
from between his legs the Sang Dig
ger had killed it with neatness ant
dispatch before che man had dared to
move an inch
Once in daylight he was coming
down mountain side that was bare
of anything but scattered vegetation
and covered with thin. fiat rocks He
had cut a long. stout pole to assist
him in his descent, and when near
the middle of patch of stones he
heard snake rattle. Standing still.
he managed TO turn over with his pole
many of the fiat stones nearest to
him. and under nearly every one he
found a snake. After killing ten or
twelve he made a more violent move
ment than usual and heard a snake
rattle under the large stone on which
he was standing Moving back a lit
tie, he pried up this stone and FOUND
under it three rattlers, all of which he
killed The odor given off by these
snakes nearly made him sick