The Prescott daily news., 1908-10-06
B he Ing enious
 Liar
lie Found Snake end BiCyCle a
 Good Combination.

Speaking of snake stories,' began the champion story teller, T have one in my budget that 1 will vouch for myself l was travelling in South America one summer, and as there was an international war going on at the time l found myself following in the wake of moving army Every now and then l came upon a deserted camp, and, of course, 1 very soon dis covered that l was not the only crea- tuTe that took an active interest in the debris left behind by the soldiers. Quite variety of animals had scented the carnage of viands from afar, and although most of them were harmless. l now and then caught a glimpse of a reptile of such enormous dimensions that it gave me cold shivers up my spine to look at it even at a distance.
 T had my bicycle with me, and my destination was Bogota I had crossed the mountains on mule back, taking pictures with my camera as I went, and planning my line of march so as to reach habitation at every night fall One day l missed my calculations and night found me at one of the de- serted spots where some detachment had halted not long before, for there was still one dilapidated tent standing and few battered cooking utensils scattered about 1 decided to build fire for protection and spend a night beneath the heavens after feeding myself and my animal in the usual manner.
 T had been asleep for some time when sudden noise awakened me. must have been dreaming of an en. counter with the enemy, for I fancied when l awoke that 1 had heard the report of firearms. Then as I grew wider awake it popped into my head that my bicycle tire had exploded. The heat of the sun had been too much for 1t, and it was with a feeling of alarm that l saw myself deprived of this form of locomotion. Of course I had the mule, but we had come a long way, and I hated to think of his carry ing me over the miles that still lay between us and our destination.
 While I was bewaiing my stupid ity in not bringing more extra tires from the last village visited, 1 heard slight rustling in the bushes and as my fire had burned itself out some time before I knew that I was about to have a visitor I raised myself on one knee and reached for my rife. A moment later, by the aid of the moon, I saw fair-sized snake stick its head out of the foliage of a bush at my right, directly behind which my mule was tethered
 Without once thinking of the mule l aimed the weapon and fired. The next minute I knew by the sounds be- hind the bush that there was a dead mule to my credit, but the antics of the snake were sufficient to keep my mind occupied for the present.
 T had wounded him mortally, but not killed him outright. After a tre- mendous flashing of the ground in which the dust flew yisibly, he sudden ly caught his tail in his mouth and swallowed at least a half yard of it in his death agony. then he suddenly became quiet and this silence was fol lowed with immediate rigor mortis.
 When l was sure he was dead l went behind the bush and inspected the mule. had killed him instantly, the bullet having first passed through the snakes body.
 Tt was then that the full horror Of my predicament burst upon me. was footsore and weary, and l still had 70 miles or more to go before reaching Bogota. I inspected the bicycle next --an old-style wheel, l forgot to say, the big sphere measuring 52 inches in diameter. The tire was in fragments and utterly useless. As I kicked 1t one side with my foot I was suddenly seized with an inspiration. Going to my outfit I got out my bicycle pump. With this l blew the ring of snake up as hard as I could-clapped a piece of rubber over the puncture in the skin and glued it tightly. Then 1 fitted 1t around the wheel. It was exactly 52 inches
 Did it last all the way to Bogota?
 "No, it exploded. going off like