Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-09-29
BELIEVE OR NOT
But Here is Right Interesting Snake
Story,


I have been a regular reader Of Woods
and Waters for some time and often
see something real interesting, writes
''W. o. B." Of Ridgeland, S. c., to the
editor Of Woods and Waters column in
the Charleston News and Courier
notice H. A. BIS doubts about the
power Of snakes to fascinate or charm
their victims, so l will relate what
saw on Wednesday, the 18th instant:
had been out to one of my corn
fields some distance from the house
and carried my gun along, as the field
is entirely surrounded by swamp and
hummock land, and something had
destroyed a quantity Of corn. 1 saw
nothing to shoot, however, and started
back home, when I walked up to
large rattler lying out straight, but
with his head to tree, which noticed
was hickory.
The snake seemed to be looking UP
the tree I kicked some trash on 1t,
but it paid no attention to it ct all.
Then 1 discovered some particles or
hickory nut falling and Immediately
remembered the stories had so often
heard of snake charming a squirrel,
so stepped back about twelve or MI
teen feet and sat down with my back
to a. small tree, where 1 could look
both at the snake and up the tree he
was watching. In a few moments
nut dropped and 1 saw squirrel run
out on a limb to get another. He got
it and started back to the tree, but
stopped about halfway and looked
down. I could not at first tell but what
it may have seen me, but, on looking
down at the snake, l saw it tslowly coll
ing as if getting ready for business
and it began to ring its rattles very
slowly and very low. looked back at
the squirrel and saw it crossways on
the limb looking down. 1t would turn
back and forth as if very restless. 1t
dropped the nut it had just picked and
slowly went back to the tree and began
to come down, but it stopped at every
limb and looked at the snake.
1 soon found it was paying no atten-
ton to me, as l used my hat to brush
MOSQUITOES and it appeared not to see
| it at all. After it passed the limbs OF
| the tree in its descent it would crawl
very slowly for few inche% and halt
a moment. l remembered | had been
told that if one were to shoot snake
at such time the squirrel would fall
dead, but I wanted to see the finish. so
I sat there and watched. In a few
minutes the squirrel came to within
about three feet of the ground, when
suddenly the snake struck and caught
it by the head.
The squirrel never moved, not even
| foot or it's tail. The snake held it
moment and looked around as if defy
ing any one or any thing to interfere.
Then it proceeded to lick the squirrel
little bit, but not nearly as much as
one would imagine before he slowly
swallowed it. Then 1 shot the snake
and hooked sharp stick in its head or
neck, as the head was shot off, and I
dragged it back toward home until /
came to some hands working in the
hay field, when 1 cut the snake open
and took out the squirrel for all to see.
Now here is another strange thing:
Just a few hours later one of the
negroes killed another rattler near the
one had killed and dragged there.
They say it followed the trail.
Did it really DO so? I do not know.
And did the snake charm the squirrel?
1t looked so, at least, yet l never be-
lieved it before.
am in my fifty-sixth year. I never.
saw such a thing before and never cX-
pect to again.