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Show SNAKES ARE VICIOUS ARKAN8AN TELLS OF HABIT8 OF THE MOCCASIN. Declares the Reptiles Organize for Offensive Of-fensive and Defensive Purposes-Lakes Purposes-Lakes In the Sunk Lands Fairly Alive With Them. "When It comes to downright vl-clousness vl-clousness among snakes," said a man from Arkansas, "I will put tho water moccasin against evory other kind oT snake on earth, I was reading a story about tho snakes of Martinique, nnd It seems that they are afflicted on tho Island Is-land with a rather bad brand of makes, snakes that really go around looking for trouble. I could not help thinking that the Martinique rcptllo must bo related In somo way to tho lcious water moccasin which Is to bo found in tho St. Frnncls basin, up In Arkansas: They aro savage, and what Is 'worso and moro of It,' they seem to havo organized for offensive nnd defensive de-fensive purposes. There aro millions upon millions of theso snnkes In tho basin of tho St. Francis river between tho Sunk Lnnds nnd tho mouth of tho river, a few miles nbovo Helena. I havo seen tho lakes allvo with them. I have known of instances where It would bo Impossible for a farm hand to water his horses aftor his day's work on nccount of tho snakes. Tho makes fed In tho edges of tho lake during tho evening, and as soon as an effort would bo mado to water tho horso at a certain place they would mako a chargo on that particular placo, wriggling In from tho lake In great numbers. They seemed to resent re-sent It as an encroachment upon their rights and no amount of 'shooting' or chunking would drive them away. Thoy would simply choke tho drinking drink-ing place. I have seen this samo thing happen a number of times. Of course, It would bo necessary to tako tho horso elsewhero for watering purposes. They aro excremely poisonous, and I havo heard of many Instances whero tho moccasin blto killed animals. Dogs In Uiat part of tho country frequently die as tho result of being bitten by a wator moccasin. They aro not bad about running away when thoy aro in a flock. In fact, the running had better bet-ter bo on the other side If It happens to bo cither near tho beginning or at tho end of tho snako season, for thoy really Eeem to bo moro vicious and moro petulant, it I mnv say It, at tho extremes of tho season than at other times. I supposo thero Is somo nnt-ural nnt-ural reason for tin fact. At any rato, It Is a fact. Coming back to tho point I will put tho rartlcular brand of Arkansas Ark-ansas water moccasin to which I havo inferred ngalnst Hnythlng In tho rop-Hllnn rop-Hllnn 111 to bo found in Martinique, cr In nnj other place, for that matter, mat-ter, for I really boliovo thoy aro tho most desperately vicious snakos on tho face of tho earth." Now Orleans Times-Democrat. |