Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1851-12-17
THE ATTLEsNAKE HUNTER.
"Until my ghnstly tale ia told,
This heart Within mo burns"

This heart within me burns"
During delightful excursion in the
vicinity ofthe Green Mountains, "a few
years sinces l had the good fortune to
meet within singular character, known in
many partsNof Vermont as the Rattle
snake Hunter. 1t was warm, clear
day of sunshine, in the middle of June,
that saw him for the first time. while
engaged in neurological ramble over
the hills. His head was bald and his
forehead was deeply marked with the
strong lines ofcare and age, His form
was wasted and meagre and but for the
fiery vigor of his eye, he might have
been supposed incapacitated by age and
infrmities for even a slight exclusion
Yet he hurried over the huge lodges of
rocks with quick and almost youthful
tread and seemed earnestly searching
among the creviceS and loose crags and
stintcd bushes around him. All at once,
he started suddenly-drew himself back
with q sort of ahuddering recoil-and
then smote fercely with his staff upon the
rock before him. Another and another
blow--and he lifted the 1.-the and crushed
form of u large rattlesnake upon the end
Ct his rod.
The old mans eye glistened, but his
lips trcmbled as he looked steadfastly
upon his yet writhing victim, Another
OF the accursed raccP he muttcrcd be-
tween his clenched teeth, apparently un-
conscious of my presence.
| was satisfied that the person now be-
fore me was none other than the famous
'RattleSnakG Hunter He was known
throughout the ncighborhood as an out
cast and wanderer, obtaining a misera-
BILE subsistence from the casual charities
of the people around him, His time was
mostly spent among the rocks and rude
hills, where his only object seemed to be
the hunting out and destroying of the
Cro'0iwS hOtTdHS or rattlesnake, l imme-
diatcly determined to satisfy my curiosity
which had been strongly excited by the
remarkable appearance of the stranger,
and for this purpose approached him,
Are there many of these reptiles in
thio 'igi"''y" incurred, pointing to the
crushed serpent.
'Thcy are getting to be scarce, said
the old man, lifting his slouched hat and
wiping his bald brow. i have known the
time when you could hardly stir ten rods
from your door, in this part Of the State,
without hearing their low, quick rattle at
your side, or seeing their many -colored
bodies, coiling up in your path. But as
said before, they are getting to be scarce,
the internal race will be extinct in few
ycars--and thank God, have myself been
considerable cause of their extermina-
ton
You must of course, know the nature
of these creatures perfectly WELL said l,
Do you believe in their power of fascina-
tion or charming .
The old man $ countenance fell. There
was a visible struggle of feeling within
him, for his lips quivered, he dashed his
brown hand suddenly across his eyes as
if to couceal a tear /; but quickly recover
ing himself, he answered in the low, deep
voice of one who was about to reveal
some horrible secret
i believe in the rattlesnake' power of
fascination, as firmly as l believe in my
own existence
Surely = said 1, you do not believe
that they have power over human be-
ings .
do, know it to be so = and the old
man trembled as he spoke. You are a
stranger to me, he said, slowly, after
scrutnizing my features for moment
but if you will go down with me to the foot
of this rock, in the shade there,-and he
pointed to group of leaning oaks that
hung over the declivity-'1 I will tell you
a strange and sad story of my own exPe-
rience'
1t may be supposed that readily as
sented to this proposal, and bestowing
one moro blow upon the rattlesnake as if
10 be certain of its death, the old man
taesesN4ed the rocks with rapidity that
Mou!a have endangered the neck of less
PIacused hunter. After reaching the
place winch he pointed out, the Rattle
snake I1"9ler commenced his story in a
manner which confirmed what had pre.
viously heard of his education and intel.
lectual strength,
i was among the earliest settlers in this
part of the country. had Just finished
my education at Harvard, when I was
induced by the aattering representations
ofsome ofthe earliest pioneers into the wild
land beyond the Connecticut, to seek my
fortune in the new settlements. My wife
the old mans eye glistened an instant,
and then tear crossed his brown cheek
- my wife accompanied me, young and
delicate, and beautiful as she was, to this
wa and rude country. shall llnever for
gave myself forbringing her hither-never
young man, continued he, 'you look like
one who could pity You shall see the
. image oftbe girl who followed me to the
new country, and he unbound as he