A Few Snake Stories

"D you want somo nema " snakps?" nskcd an aürieiiHulyrural lóokiug iíciiMcinan of the Eayle's city editor, the othor day. '■If they are fresh and truc, responded Üie city editor. "Exnctly," replied the farmer.- "Tliesc items are both. Nobody knows 'eni bnt me. I got a farm down on the island a piece, and tliere s lots ot snakes on to it. Near the house is a iinnd aboiit six lect deep. A weeK n"o íny little (íirl junipcd mto Uie pond, and wou Id have .Irowncd hadn t it been tbr a suaUe. The snakc seen hor and went tbr her mul brought her aslioie. Tlie parlicular point about tlie item is the way lie tlUt it. 'liovr was it?" asked the city cdi"It was a black snake, about thirty feet Ion.-, and he just coiled thc iniddlc oí liimself around her neck so slie coultln't swallow any water, and swuiu ashoro with liis liead aud tail. ís Ümta.gooil item?" "First-class." "You can spread it out you knovr. A f tor they got ashore tne gin pi.w the llialte on the he;ul, and it went ofi plcased as Punch. Ever since tlien he comes to tlie house regular at uieal times, aml she iecils hini on pie. He likes i.ic. Thmk you eau niakc auything out of that item?" "CeiUinly. Kiipw any more? ';Yes. I got u baby 6 muiitlis olu. He'sa'boy? We gèniüally set hiiti out on the grass of a moriiiiig, and he hollers liktj a buil all day, ut least he used to, but heüon't any more. Oue íiioniiiiíí we noticed he wasn't hollertng and wondercd what was up.- Wiien we looked there was a ratllesnake coiled up in front of him, sc:in..;..,r hu i'KLtunHL Tlie boy was íiiii" and tlio snake was gnmniig.- Biiueby tliu suake turned las tolj to tlic bnby aiul b- frt his rattle riglit into the baby's fist." "Wliat dkt tlo baly lor" "W'liy lie just rattled tliat tail so you could hoar it tlireu-quartei-s of a mili;, and the snake lay there and imnued. Every ruoruing we louud tne snake tnere, uutil onu day a bigtrer snake cainc, and llie baby played withliis rattle just the saine ull tho firsl buake carne back. lie looked tliin tuid 1 reokon lio liad boen sickand sent the other snuke to t.jke lus place. Will tliat do lor na item?" 'iiniueiisely," replied the city edi"Vou can fill in about the confldenee of chiluhood, and all tliat, and you iniülit, say goinetUlag about the ulue-eyéd cherub, llis name is Isaac. lJut tliat in to picase my wite." "i'll do it. Aiiy nioiesnakc iteinsf "Lcinmc see. ïou'vc lieard oí hoop snakesV" "Yes, of ten." , . "Justso. Notlong ago we heard a feurtul row in our cellar olie nijjlit. lt souihled like a rock Wast, and iheu iliere was a hiss and thcu llimgs was uuiet. Wheu i louked in the morning 1 fouud the eider barrd liad bust...l. Hut we didn't lose mucU eider. "llow diil you suvo II?" 'lt seenis tliiil the stavcs bad busted out, but beiore they couid get away, íoiir hoop snakes coiled aruiuid the barrel ana tigli tened it up und held it tüether iintil we drew the eider „ff in boules. That's the way wo lound 'ein, and we've kept tliem aronnd the hou.se ever smee. We re tramiui 'ein lor shavvl-straps ïiow.- Does that sirike you lavorauly lor au 1 'Enoruiously," responded the city editor. , "You can fix it up so as to show how quick tliey Ww to get there beibre the suves wcre blown oü. You can work in the .letaüs." üi course. l'll altend to all that."