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 j/^z^r 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 emiff i^x 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 k7ww, 'n' wut I say I kin prove. 'N' if 



