Champion Snake Stories

loikSmi. "Yon seo," said llie stranger, when tlio eels had stopped to rest, "I como from a snake country nijself - thc West Indios Out there about two-thirds of tho peoplc are eugagedin snnke culture. Tlio smaller snakes aro converted into ladies' breastpins, earriDgs, biacelels and headdresses. As tho snakes aro converted iuto these ornaruents by sirnply being frozen, it frequently happens that they thaw out in a heated ballrooru, and iL ís a cominon occurrenco for a lady's breastpin or necklace to suddenly begin to wigglo or hiss. Now, if you doubt iny word I can refer you to tho United States consul, and the governor of the Island of St. Martin. "By tho way, speaking of these gentlemen, reminds me of a littlo incident. It is quite tho fasbion thero for mon to carry a snake-Htick or cañe. These sticks are mado out of a single snakc frozen and twisted into any desirable simpe. Ono day I droppod into tho fice of the United States consul, and soon the governor and several othcr gentlemen arrived. We wero engaged ia a heated disciission when we weru startled by a Mssiug sound, and, turning1, discovered all our sticks, which we liad placed in the corner of tho room, a wiggling uiass of snakes. The waruith of our discussion had tlawed them out. While we wero discussiug witat we should do, those snakes beg;.n deniolishing each other, and soon the largest one swallowed the smaller ones, until only two were left. Wc sent over to the factory for a man to como and get them to be f rozen over. Just then they began fighting, and soon the ono svallowed the other, and there was onlv a single snake left. We feil to disputing as to who owned hini, when he suddenly turned I113 head, eyed us in a solemn kind of a way, winked his left optie, and. eoiling iround, placed his tail in his mouth, and, before we suspected what he was about, he swallowed himself. When the man arrived from tho factory with a canvas bag all he found was a damp spot on the iloor."