strike. He lifted his legs
carefully, with the intention of darting away on the other side of the
log the moment the rattles should sound their warning. But just as his
feet cleared the top of the log, the snake struck out and its fangs were
buried in the wood only the fraction of an inch below the Italian's
trousers. The frightened man fled madly, but he took breath to shriek
over his shoulder:

"Son of a gun! Why you no ringa da bell?"

TREASURE TROVE

An old negro, who had almost attained the century mark, nearly blind,
almost completely disabled, without friends, relations, or money, felt
himself about to die, and stealthily made his way into a farmer's barn,
where he burrowed into the haymow. But the farmer had observed the man's
entrance, and after getting his shotgun, he hurried to the barn.

"I got you!" he cried savagely. "Dog gone you! I got you!"

The moribund derelict thrust his black face from the mow, and showed his
toothless gums in a grin, as he answered:

"An' a great git you got!"

TRIAL

The colored man was before the court, accused of horse-stealing. The
prosecuting attorney read the indictment sternly, and then asked:

"Are you guilty, or not guilty?"

The prisoner wriggled perplexedly, and then grinned propitiatingly as he
said:

"Now, suh, boss, ain't dat perzakly de ting we'se done gwine diskiver in
dis-yere trial?"

TRIPLETS

When the domestic event was due, the prospective father, being ordered
out of the house, celebrated the occasion with many friends in a number
of saloons. He celebrated so well that the clock was striking three in
the morning when he entered the house. A nurse hurried to him, and undid
some wrappings that revealed three tiny faces. The father stared
reproachfully at the clock in the hall, and then, again regarding his
group of children, spoke earnestly:

"Oi'm not superstitious, but Oi thank hivin Oi didn't come home at
twelve!"

TRUTH-TELLERS

The little girl evidently appreciated the fact that all men and women
are liars, for _Punch_ records the following as the dialogue between her
and her mother when she had been caught in a fib:

_Mother:_ "It is very naughty to tell untruths, Kitty. Those who do so,
never go to heaven."

_Kitty:_ "Don't you ever tell an untruth, Mummy?"

_Mother:_ "No, dear--never."

_Kitty:_ "Well, you'll be fearfully lonely, won't you, with only George
Washington?"

TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR

The woman lecturing o