The Weekly register. (Ponola [sic] Panola, Miss.) 1843-1844, 1843-10-28

the rattlesnakes which infested orr
neignborhood. Three or four settlers
were bitten by them, and died in terrible
agonies. The Indians often told US
frightGul stories Of this snake, and its
powers offascnation; and although they
we've generally believed, yet for my
SELF | confess, ] was rather amused
than convinced by their mervelcus le-
| gends."
SIN one of my hunting excursions
abroad, or fine morning-it was Just
at this time .ef the year, | was. accom-
t-panied by my wife. Twas beautiful
! morning. The sunshine was warm, the
atmosphere perfectly clear; and fine
breeze from the northwest shook the
bright, green leaves which clothed 20
! prolusion thu wreathing branches above
US. had left my companion for a
short time, in the pursuit Of game; and
in climbing rugged ledge of rocks, in
terspersed with shrubs and dwarfish
trees, was startled by quick, grating
rattle. looked forward. On the edge
of loosened rock lay large rattle
snake, coilIng himself as if for the dead
! ~ spring. He was within a few fest of
me; and | paused for an instant TO sur
vey him. | know not why, but stood
still, and looked at the deadly serpant
with a strange feeling Of curiosity.
"Suddenly he unwound bis coil, as if
relenting from his purpose Of hostility i,
and rising his head, he fixed his bright
fiery eye directly upon my own. A
chilling and indescridable sensation, to-
tally different from any thing had ever
before experienced, followed this move
ment of the serpent; but | stood still,
and gazed steadily and earnestly, for at
hat moment there was a visible change
the repticle. His formed seemed &c
grow larger, and his colors brighter.
His body moved with a slow, almost i'm
perceptable motion towards me, and q
low hum Of music came from him or a
: least it sounded in my cara strange
At-swv7r-rrvfotfy;f s,at as Chad which nleitl
fron' the throat Of. the cumming bird
Then the iints of his body deepened, ane
changed and glowed, like the changes
of a beautiful kaleidscope-green, pnr
pie and gold, until I lost sight of the
serpant entirely, and saw only wild and
curiously woven circles Of strange col
ors, quivering around me, like an at
mosphere Of rainbow. .
81 seemed in the centre of a grea
prism--a world Of mysterious colors-
and tints varied and darkened and light
cd Up again and around me; and the
low music went on without ceasing unti
my brain reeled; and fear, for the frs
time, came like shadow over me
The new sensations gained upon me ra
.pidiy, and could feel the cold swea
gushing from my brow. !. | had no GER
tainty of. danger in my mind-no def
mite ideas Of peril--aIl was vague anC
clouded, like the unacoountable terror
Of a dream--and yet my limbs shook
; and faucied I could feel the blood, stiff
fleming with cold as it passed along my
veins. | would have given worlds t.
: have been able TO Ttear myself from thu
spot even attempted TO do so, but th'
! body obeyed not theimpulse of the mint
NOT a muscle stirred; and stood still
q as il my feet had grown to the SOLE
u rock, with the Internal music. Of tn
tempter in my ear. andthe baleFul col
1t orings of his enchantment before m.
n eyes. '..,A
+ "Suddenly new sound came TO m.
| cart was human voice-but il seem
If ed strange and awful. Again-again-
:, but | stirred not, and then white form
q plunged before me and grasped my arm
:, The horrible spell was at once broken
y The strange colors passed from befor
i my vision. The rat.lesnake was coil
ing at my very feet, with glowing eye
y and uplilted fanfs, and my wife wa
9 clinging in terror upon me.-The nea
10 instant the serpant threw himself upo
II us. My wife was the victim! The fats
20 fangs pierced deeply into her ANGLE, an
,r her scream of agony, as she staggere
back from me, told me the dreadfl