THOSE HORSE-HAIR SNAKES 67 
A loud and long -continued guffaw concert 
greeted this surprising statement, a result which 
the shrewd cobbler had anticipated. 
" We give in," remarked one sarcastic snake ex- 
pert, when the laughter had subsided. " We give 
in. We don't enny on us know thet much," fol- 
lowed by another burst of derisive laughter. 
" Thet's becuz yeu ornery critters hain't gut no 
sense," replied Amos, with warmth. " Ye beleve 
jest wut ennybody tells ye, or jest wut yer gran'ther 
beleved before ye, ez though yeur gran'ther knowed 
any more'n a hedge fence jest becuz he hed the 
misfortoon to be yeur gran'ther. My gran'ther 
sed so tew. But what on't ? He warn't to blame. 
He didn't know no better. I do. Yeu say them 
snakes come from hoss-har. Like nuff they ain't 
one o' ye but b'leeves fer a fac' thet ef yer old 
har-cloth sofy wuz put to soak it wou'd all squirm 
off overnight. Ye see these ar har snakes in the 
hoss-trawf, and thet's enuffi^ ye. Immejetly yeu 
hev yer 'hoss-har snake,' 'n' you're so sot they 
ain't no livin' with ye." 
And so he went on, with occasional exclamatory 
or chaffing interruptions. 
"Oh yis! Yeu know all about 'em, jest becuz 
ye hed a gran'ther who wuz a dunceheels. No- 
body kin teech ye nothin', but /'// tek a leetle o' 
the conceit out o' ye afore I'm done with ye. Wut 
I know I know, 'n' wut I say I kin prove. 'N' if 
