, 1842-12-10
JRT, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, Is4s.

lowing incident was related to us thu
other day, by one whose veracity i:
unquestioned, and who was almost ar
eye witness to the fact. 1t is more
appalling than any we recolIect t.
have ever read in the history ofthese
terrible reptiles. gssio
Sometime last summer the inhabi-
tants of Manchester, Mississippi, gave
a Barbecue which was attended by
most Of the fashion and beauty of the
town and surrounding country. II
happened that among the guests there
was a young lady, Miss NJ, recently
from one ofthe Eastern cities, who
was on a visit to her relations in the
neighborhood of the town. Miss NJ.
was a gay and extremely fashionable
young lady, and wi,hal possessed an
uncommon share OF spirit and courage
except in the matter of snakes-and
of these she had so great a dread that
she scarcely dared to walk anywehre
except in the most iT~equented places.
for fear of encountering them. Every
effort was used, but without avail, to
rid her of her childish fears. They
haunted her continually. until at last
it became the settled conviction OF
her mind that she was destined to fall
a victim 10 the fangs of a rattlesnake.
The sequal will show how soon her
terrible presentiment was fulfilled.
Towards the close Of the day, while
scores offairy feet were keeping time
in the dance to the merry music, and
the whole company were il the full
tide of enjoyment, a scream was heard
from Miss NJ, followed by the most
agonizing cries for help. The crowd
gathered around her instantly, and be-
held her standing, the perfect image
of dispair, with her hands grasping a
portion of her dress with the tenacity
Of a vice. 1t was some time before
she could be rendered sufficiently
calm 10 tell the cause of her alarm.
and then they gathered from her bro
ken exciamatiaons that she was grasp
ing the heal off snake among The folds
Of her dress, and dreaded to let 90 her
hold for fear Of receiving the fatal
blow? This intelligence caused many
to shrink from her, but the most of the
ladies'. to their honor be it told, re-
manned with her, determined not 10
leave her in the dreadful extremity.
They besought her to not relax her
hold, as her safety depended upon it.
until some one could be found who
had the courage to sieze and remove
the terrible animal. There were
none of the ladies', however, who bad
the courage to perform the act, and
the condition of Miss NJ, was becom-
ing more and more critical every mo,
ment. 1t was evident that her
strength was failing very fast, and
that she could not maintain her hold
many munites longer.
A hasty consultation among the
calmest of the ladies was held, when
it was determined that DR.. Tisan, who
was present, should be called to their
assistance. He was quickly on the
spot, and being a mar of uncommon
courage, he was not many moments
within the circle of weeping and half
fainting females, until he had cought
the tail of the snake and wound it
firmly around his hand to make sure
of his hold. He then told Miss NJ.
that she must let 90 at the moment
he jirked it away, and to make the
act as instan,aneously as possible, he
told her that he would pronounce the
words one, two, three, and that at the
moment he pronounced the last word.
she mus, let 90 her hold. and he doubt.
ed not that he could withdraw the
snake before it could have time to
strike. All stood in breathless horror,
awaiting the act of life or death, and
and at the moment the word three
was pronounced the Doctor jirked
out the largest and most diabolical
looking hustle that was yer seen in
Mississippi. The whole affair was at
once explained. The fastening of
the machine had become loose during
the dancing, and it had shifted its po-
sition in such a way that they dangled
about the lady's legs, and induced the
the belief that they were a snake
with an enormous head.
The Doctor fell right down in his
tracks, and fainted-he did.--GHan-
nibal Journal.