Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-08-11

witlput ceasing until my brain reeIrd
ana iear, for the FIRST time, came like q
sha9w over me. he new sensation
fgai4d upon me rapidly, and / could feel
me 1old swea. gushing from my brow.
! hal no certainly Of danger in my mind
Indefinite ideas Of periI-all was vague
and fonded, like the unaccoun,able Ter.
rors dream-and yet my limbs shook
and 4fancied could feel the blood siffen-
ing Nth cold as il passed along my veins.
| VOID have given worlds to have been
able p tear myself from the spot-I even
ATTEMPTED 10 do so. but the body obeyed
not thu impulse of the mind-no, mus.
Gle silred; and stood s,ill, as if nv fee,
had groen TO the solid rock. with the in
fernal npsic of the .empter in my ear, and
the baletl colorings of his enchan.men,
before ny eyes.
Suddenly a new sound came to my ear
lit wasa human voice-but il seemed
strange sd awful. Again-again-but l
stirred M, and then white form plunged
before a and grasped my arm. The
horrible pell was al once broken. The
strange G ors passed from before my Wis.
ion. Tls ral.lesnake was coiling at nv
very feetlwith glowing eyes and uplified
fangs, as1 my wife was clinging IN terror
upon mef The next instant the serpen,
threw himself upon US. My wife was the
victim I! The fatal fangs pierced deeply
into her hand, and her scream of agony.
as she Staggered backward from me, told
me the lreadful truth.
Then it was that feeling of madness
came upQn me; and when | saw the foul
serpent sealing away from his work, reck.
less Of digger. sprang for ward and crush
ed him alder my feet. grinding him upon
the raggel rock. The groans of my wife
now recalled me to her side, and to the |
horrible reality of her situation. There
was fark, livid spot on her hand, and i. |
deepensi into blackness as | led her away.
We web at considerable distance from
any dividing and after wandering for
short tin4s, the pain Of her wound became
to my wife, and she swoon-
ID awayln my arms Weak and exhaus-
ed .as mas. ! yet had strength enough |
,Ie, and 70 carry her TO the nearest rixs
5ne pseuany recovered. and sat down up
On tue >p"k. while / supported her head |
upon my sosom. Hour after passed away
and nonecame near us-and ihere-alOne
in the great wilderness, watched over her |
and prayl with her and she died! -
The Cd man groaned audibly as he vi
ered ,hes words, and as he clasped his
bony l,anlS o, er his eyes. / could see the
Iears falli,g lhickIy through his gaun. fin
gers. Abr a momeniary struggle with
his feeling, he lifted his head once more.
and there was fierce ligh. in his eyes as
he spoke y!
"Bul have my revenge. From that
fatal momat have feltmyself fitted and
set apart. 1y the terrible ordeal of aff1ic-
ion TO ril the place Of my abode of its
c.nlesi cusse And have well nigh sue
ceeded. Ihr Fascinating demons are al |
ready few and powerless. Do not I'm.
agine," said he earnestly regarding the |
somewhat equivocal expression of my
"that consider these crea.
lures as ssrpents onIy-creeping serpents.
they are ierpen.s Of the fallen angel-lhe |
immediae ministers of the internal gulf"
Yearf,ave passed away since my inter-
view will the Rat,lesnake Hunter; the
place oils abode has changed beau.i-
full 'iltaf rises near the spot Of our con-
ference. lind the grass Of the churchyard
is greeIover the grave Of the old hunter.
But hisItory is fixed upon my mind. and
Tine. Ike enamel, only burns deeper the
first IMPRESSION. II comes up before me
likea 9vidly remembered dream. whose
featured are too horrible for reality.
The philadelphia Ledger says. Phila.
delphia sas rarely. if ever. more comfor.-