A SNAKE'S GRIP ON LIFE.

Hot Lakes Chronicle, Volume 2, Issue 118, 6 March 1895, Page 3

A SNAKE'S GRIP ON LIFE.

The tenacity of life possessed by snakes is- very wonderful. Last winter somo men were digging a well out in the couutiy, and close to tho Meramec, when they came on a cavity in the ground which contained a nest of snakes. The weather was bitterly cold, and tho snakes were apparently dead. They were all blacksnakes and harmless, so tho men loaded them into tho bucket and sent them to tho top just for curiosity. They were thrown out on the ground, and in a little while were frozen as stiff as so many sticks. Their bodies became so brittle with tho frost that in handling them several wore broken like iciebs. One of the men when lie Ivent home at nig]it took two or three of the largest along to frighten his wife. 11 o succeeded very well, and, leaving tho snakes on the floor in the kitchen before tho fire, sat down to eat his supper, forgetting all about them. "While tho meal was in progress his w ,- fe, who had loft the room; suddenly gave a terrific scream that made him jump up in a panic and run to see what was tho matter. ' As ho opened the kitchen door she fell against him, almost fainting wiffi fright, and too badly scared to tell what ailed her. Ho soon found out, for on going in ho at first thought he ' had'eili again,' for tho room seemed full of snakes Warmed by the genial glow of the kitchen fire the frozen snakes had come to lifo and were coursing round the room with soul-chilling energy. He did not care to tackle the job of killing them there, so ho pushed the outer door open and they soon found their way out, and had not gone 100 yards before they were as stiff as ever with tho cold, lie followed them out and finished them with a polo, but says he will never trust a snake again, no matter how hard frozen.