Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1843-07-08
THE RATTLEsNAKE HUNTER.
Emil my ghas,ly tale is told,
II is heart within me turns."

of the Green Mountains, few years since,
had the good fortune to meet with a singular
character, known in many parts Of Vermont as
the Rattlesnake Hunter. II was warm, clear
day of sunshine in the middle of June, that
saw him for the first time, while engaged in a
mineralogical ramble among the hills. His
head was bald, and his forehead was deeply
marked witt! the strong lines of care and age.
His form was wasted and meagre and but for
the fiery vigor of his eye, he might have been
supposed ncapacitated by age and infirmities
for even slight exeriion Yet he hurried over
the huge ledges Of rock with quick and al
most youthful tread and seemed earnestly
searching among the crevces and loose crags
and stinted bushes around him. All at once,
he started suddenly-drew himself back with
n sort of shuddering recoil-and then smote
fercely with his staff upon the rock before him.
Another and another blow-and he lifted the
| 1.-THE ana crushed form of large rattlesnake
upon the end of his rod.
| The old mans eye gistened, but his lip trem-
bled as he looked steadfastly upon his yet writh-
ing victim. "Another Of the accursed race ~
ne muttcred between his clenched teeth, ap-
parently unconscious of my presence.
| | was now satisfied that the person before
me was none ether than the famous Rattle
snake Hunter. He was known throughout the
neighborhood as an outcast and a wanderer,
obtaining miserable subsistence from the casu-
al charities of the people around him. His
time was mostly spent among the rocks and
iude hills. where his only object seemed TO be
the hunting out and destroying Of the Crotaius
horidus or rattlesnake. Immediately deter
mined to satisfy my curiosity, which had been
strangely excited by the remarkable appear
ance of the stranger; and for this purpose
approached him.
"Are there many Of these reptiles in this
vicinity !" inquired, pointing to the crushed
serpent.
"They are getting to be scarce" said the
old man. lifting his slouched had and wipne
his bald brow; shave known the time wher
you could hardly stir ten rods from your doo
in this part of the state without hearing ,hei
low, quick rattle at your side, or seeing thei
many colored bodies coing up in your path
But, as said before, they are getting to bC
scnrce-the internal race will be extinct i'll
few years-and thank God have myself beer
a considerable cause of their determination"
"You must, of course, know the nature O
these creatures perfectly we'll" said !. "D
| koli in fha,r pf foSC inafI n
charming !"
The old mans countenance fell. There wa
a visible struggle of feeling within him; 70
his lip quivercd. and he dashed his brown han
suddenly across his eyes, as if to conceal
tear /; but quickly ccovering himself, he an
swered in the low, deep voice of one that wa
about to reveal some horrible secret
al believe in the rattlesnake's power of ia
scinaton as firmly as believe in my own ex
5 i;tence"
: "Sutely," said |, "you do not believe tina
= they have power over human beings!"
l. "Ido-I know it to be ~ and the old ma
t trembed as he spoke. "Iou are stranger
: me-" he said slowly, after scrutinizing my fe;
S me to the foot Of this rock, in the shade there
$ and he pointed to a group Of leaning oal
e that hung over the dccivty-"l will tell yo
c a strange and sad story ofmy own experience.
It 1t may be supposed that readily assente
1t to this proposal. Bestowing one more bio
ot upon the rattesnake, as ifto be certain Of h
e death, the old man descended the rocks with
to rapidity that would have endangered the nee
1t Of less prectised hunter. After reaching Il
N place which he pointed out, the Rattlesnal
Hunter commenced his story in mann
nt which confirmed what had previously hea
r, OF his education and intellectual strength.
!" al was among the earliest settlers in ii
part ofthe country. had just finished n
VI education at Harvard when was induced
~ - the fattering representations OF some oi I
:, earliest pioneers into the wild lands beyo
the Connecticut, TO seek my fortune in the ne
settlements My wife"-the old mans e
glstened an instant and then tear cross
his brown cheek-"my wife accompanied n
young and delicate and beautiful as she W
ill to this wild aud rude country. l shall ne'
he forgive myself Tor bringing her hither-nev
in Young man." continued he, "you look like G
ION who could pity. You shall see the image
cry the girl who followed me to the new countr
IS n And he unbound as he spoke,a ribbon from
re- neck, with small miniature attached to il
en- 1t was that offs beautiful female---but tn