The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-03-14
A Snake-Bit freshman.

The New York Spirit ofthc Times tells Il
funny story ofan lrishman, who was exceed
ingly afraid of Snakes, especially of could
ones"--and who had thrust himself upon "A
hunting party in Tennessee. When awake
he was odious-whcn asleep he snored so
loud that no body else could get any rest
On the second night ofhis intrusion,he made
himself more and more obnoxious. But at-
ter while, he got aslcop,and then commence
ed his laundering snoring. 1t soon grew
fast and furious, loud and long; occasionally
a sort of halfsnort halfgrunt, terminated with
"snaltcs, by abcrs, blast then sowls" This
continued until day break, when Jim W.,
whose stock ofpatience had long ago cvapo-
rated, unrolled himself from his blanket say
ing in his usual quiet way, lIumph! I'll stop
that internal concert or start the maker Of IT,,
see ifI don't UmphI" He then awoke the
rest ofthe party, when plot was laid and car
rled into execution.
w. got his hunting knife, and going TO
where the otfal of large deer had been
thrown, he cut off seven feet of cntlul, aud
securing the ends with Irvine TO retain the
contents, he tied one end oft tight and fast
10 Il corner ofPaddy's shirt tail that had wan
dercd through "rint' III the seat Of his
brooches, coilingit all up smooth by his side,
snake like and true. All things thus arrung
ed, the consplrators laid down again. and at
the conclusion ofone ofthe stage horn snores
with the "snukes sowls" variation, Jim a.
roared out at the top of his voice, "llu wee!
HUI wee! Snakes snakes" giving the IriShman
with every word, furious dig III the side
with his elbow, with n running accompani-
ment on his shins with his heels! Of course
all this noise and hurting awoke him quick
and widc in his first movement he laid his
hand on the nice cold coil of emtrail at his
side. Kissing out n "blHzcs'' from between
his clenched teeth, lac made bound that
carried him some ten feet clear of the camp,
and with force that Strengthened out the
coil and made the snakes tail crack like cart
whip3
Casting one wild blazing look behind lie
tore off with the rapidity oflightning around
the camp in n circle ofsome thrty feet across
and at every bound shouting, or rather yell
ing, "saze 'em! SAFE 'em by the tail! Oh, how-
w Vargin, stop i'm, Och, Saint Pathrick, tare
i'm in till iabletts! A wha, wha! Bate i'm
to smittereens wild gun, can't yeesY He's
got me fas, how'd byme body! och he has, by
Jabers! and he's me,;dirf his houH, a wha! -
Howly Father he's got a shark hook on its
tail! Och, murther, he's forty fut long~ On
making this last circuit he ran through part
oithe smoudering camp fire, and the Irvine
at the aft end of the snake took fire; this
brought new terror, and added Il strong in
ducement for him to put on more steam and
increase his rate; round and round he went.
"He's fiery sarpint-Och murther Howly
Vargin, he carries light to see how to bite
by! Och, help, am swallowed Dumping a
log) intirely all but me head. He's saXty
fate long, if he's filt. Thread on his bloody
fiery tail, will yees? Thry to save me-" then
as ifinspired with new life and hope, he
reared out, ''shoot 'im--shoot inn but don't
aim at it's head shoot, shoot.
Now here was picture. There stood the
Judge, hugging sapling with both arms and
one leg, his head thown back emitting scream
after scream, here lay Jim w. on his back,
with his feet against a tree, his arms elevated
like child's when he wants you to help him
up, and it was scream for scream with the
Judge All sounds, at all like ordinary
I laughter, had ceased and the present, notes
would have rendered IMMORTAL the vocallame
ola dozen punthers. Yonder stands Jim A.
fit Jim'-with his legs about yard apart
his hands on his hips, shouting at regular in
tervals ofabout FIVE seconds misunderstanding
SNAKE, at the same intonation, but SO
loud that the echoes Knocked each other from
fifty crags, and ''snake, snake reverberated
loud and long among those mountain slope
while his eyes carefully and closely followed