HE MAKES A NICE LITTLE PET, THE KING SNAKE 
DOES 
Provided you want to be nice and just play, but if anyone 
should get other ideas in their head—if one should attempt to 
get “nasty” and start playing rough—well, we would not 
underwrite his continued docile disposition. 
One of our party with whom I have hunted many years once 
had two large bird dogs, one of which he trained to aid him 
in the chase. At the same time he had a semi-domesticated 
king snake which he kept about the farm. He enjoyed about 
as much freedom about the premises as any member of the 
family. His owner and protector would often feed him young 
rats, but if neglected too long he would go hunting about the 
corncrib, entertaining no fear whatever of any member of the 
household. 
It happened, and not infrequently, while his protector would 
be busily engaged with his general farm work, that his dog 
would be heard barking, baying something about the farm, 
and if his master did not come to him he would soon come 
across the field holding this six-foot king snake in his mouth. 
His master reprimanded him after this fashion: “Now you’ve 
brought in the wrong snake—go straight back and put him 
down where you got him from.” Nursing a dejected spirit, 
he would drop his tail and go sauntering off across the field, 
soon returning empty-handed. 
One day he persisted in his barking until his master dropped 
his work and went to see if it was the king snake or some 
member of the poisonous species. By the time he arrived at a 
point from which he could view the quarrel clearly, the dog 
made a savage assault upon the king snake. Seizing him about 
the mid-section he shook him with such violence that he made 
his tail crack like a platted rawhide cow whip. His master 
commanded him to let go, which he promptly did. Now the 
king snake’s flesh is as tough as platted piano wire, while his 
skin is sleek and loose. Consequently he had suffered no in¬ 
jury as a result of the rough handling the dog had given him. 
229 
