16. Adventure With a Tie-Snake

16. ADVENTURE WITH A TIE-SNAKE ¹ (26)

A man out hunting came to a river and thought to himself, "I will go in swimming." He did so and swam about for some time in the shallow water. He saw a deeper place, however, where he was afraid to venture. By and by a tie-snake came out of this place and tied him. When it wrapped itself about him he became afraid that the snake would carry him into the deep water hole, and he jumped about until he was out of the water. There were many bushes about, and the hunter grasped at these to keep himself from being carried away, but the snake pulled him off without any trouble. When the man gave this up the snake started off with him up to the level top country. Looking about, the man saw what he at first thought was a level strip of prairie, but when they reached it it was found to be a large lake. The snake carried him into this. It was at first shallow, but it grew deeper and deeper, and finally the man was up to his breast. At this point, however, he heard a noise behind them in the direction from which they had come, and looking, he saw that it was a big alligator. Then the tie-snake let goof him and sprang up into the air with the alligator after him. The hunter was very tired and sat down in the water. Up in the sky he could hear the noise of the two creatures, and after a long time he saw them coming down and they dived into the lake. Upon this he thought he would get out of the water, and he did so, but his bruises pained him so much that he could scarcely stand up. When he started off he had to procure a walking stick. Then he returned to the place where he had gone in swimming, put on his clothes, took his gun, and returned home. He declared that he would never hunt any more "because he was too old."

Footnotes

245:1 Told to Watt Sam by a Creek named Shom'psi.