The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-03-20

aud opening his bag he thrust the reptile into it,
which appeared fur from empty.
passed on As was returning, toward the
evening, logertook the old man. who was wend-
ing ia the same direction. "Good evening to
you" said ], taking off a cap which wore on
my head. Good evening" said the old man
and then, looking at me, How's this 2" said he
ing" Yes" said |, ~ am what makes you
doubt it ~ "Why you were then all froth and
conceit," said the old man, " aud now you take
off your cap to me-" 81 beg your pardon" said
l." if | was frothy and conceted ii i'll becomes
a child like me to be So" "T'hats true, dear"
sihd the old man; swell, as you have begged
my pardon, truly forgive you" {" thank you"
said |; shave you caught any more Of those
4 things?" Only four or five,' said the old man
they are getting scarce, though this used to be
A great neighborhood for them" "And what
do you do with them 2" said " do you carry
them home and play willis them?" g some
times play with one or two that | tame" said
the old man but hunt them mostly for the
fat which they contain out of which make un-
guen's which are good for various sore troubles,
especially for the rheumatism" And do you
get your living by hunting these creatures" /
| utultnutu " MOI dltO6clnc', Sstu tilt Olu IltH ],
4" beside being vper-hunter, | am what they
call herbalist--one who knows the virtue of
particular herbs; gather them at the proper
season, to make medicines for the sick" sand
do you live in the neighborhood~ demanded.
+" You seem very fond of asking questions, child.
| No, do not live in this neighborhood in par
ticular; | travel about; | have not been in this
i neighborhood till lately for some years."
From this time the old man and myselfformed
an acquaintance; often accompanied him in his
wnnderings about the neighborhood, and, on two
or three occasions, assisted him in catching the
reptiles which he hunted He generally carried
a viper with him which he had made quite tame,
| and from which he had extracted the poisonous
| fangs; it would dance and perform various kinds
of tricks He was fond of telling me anecdotes
connected with his adventures with the reptile
species. s'But," said he one day, signing, IL
must shortly give up this business aln no
longer the man was; am become timid, and
when person is timid in viper hunting he had
better leave of, it is quite clear his virtue is
leaving him. | got fright some years ago,
which am quite sure shall never get the better
of; my hand has been shaky more or less ever
since" "What frightened you?" said l. 81 had
better not tell YOU" said the old man, cor you
may be frightened too, lose your virtue, and be
no longer good for the business" 81 don't care,
said | y 81 don't intend to follow the business
| dare say shall be an officer like my father"
"Well," said the old man, 81 once saw the king
of the vipers, and since then" . 1.-THE king of
the vpers." said l. interrupting him; shave the
vipers king!" 'As sure as we have" said the
old man--sas sure as we have King George to
rule over us, have these reptiles king to rule
over them" "And were did you see him ?" said
|. 81 will tell YOU" said the old man, "though
| don't like talking about the matter. 1t may
be about seven years ago that happened to be
far down yonder to the west, on the other side
of England, nearly two hundred miles from here,
following my business. 1t was very sultry
day, | remember, and had been out several
hours catching creatures.
1t might be about three o'clock in the after
noon when | found myself on some healthy
land near the sea, on the ridge Of a HILL the side
of which, nearly as far down as the sea, was
heath; but on the top there was arabic ground,
which had been planted, and from which the
harvest had been gathered-oats or barley,
know not whch--but remember that the
ground was covered with stubble. Well about
three O'Clock, as | told you before, what with
the heat of the day and from having walked
about four hours in a lazy way, felt very tired
so determined to have a sleep, and laid N.Y.
self down, my head just on the ridge of the hill
toward the field, and my body over the side
down among the heath my bag, which was
nearly filled with creatures, lay ut little distance
from my face the creatures were struggling in
it, ! remember, and | thought to myself, how
much more comfortable off was than they; !
was taking my ease on the nice open hill, cooled
with the breezes, whilst they were in the nasty
close bag, colling about one another and break
ing their very hearts, all to no purpose; and !
falt n,,ito forfn hla nd hapnv la tho thourht
: aud, little by little closed my eyes, and fell into
the sweetest snooze that ever ] was in all my
life and there | lay over the hills side, with
my head half in the field don't know how long
all dead asleep. At last u seemed to me that
,, heard a noise in my sleep, something Ike thing
moving, very faint, however, far away then il
died. and then it came again upon my ear rs
; slept, and now it appeared almost as if | heard
cracklc, crackle and then it died again, or be
came yet more dead asleep than before, | know
not which, but certainly lay some time without
hearing il. All of a sudden ! begame awake,
and there was !, on the ridge Of the hill, with
my cheek on the ground toward the stubble,
with noise Id my ear like that of something
moving towards me, among the stubble of the
| field.
| Well, lay a moment or two listening to the
noise, and then / became frightened, for did
not like the noise at all, it sounded so odd so
rolled myself on my belly, and looked toward
the stubble. Mercy upon us. there was a huge
snake, or rather dreadful viper, for il was all
| yellow and gold, moving toward me, bearing its
head about foot and half above the ground
the dry stubble cracking beneath its outrageous
belly. 1t might be about five yards oil when
first saw it, making straight towards me, child
as if ii would devour me. lay quite STILL for
was Supplied with horror, while the creature
came still nearer; and now it was nearly upon
me, when it suddenly drew back n little, and
then--what do you think lit lifted its head and
chest high into the ais, and high over my face as
| looked up, Pickering at me with It's tongue as
If it would fly at my face. Child, what felt at
that moment ] can scarcely say, but it was a
sufficient punishment feF all the sins ! ever com
mittcd; and there we two were, looking mp at
the viper, and the viper looking down upon me,
Pickering at me with its tongue. II was only
the kindness of God that saved me: all at once
there was loud noise, the report of gun, for
a fowler was shooting at eovey of birds, little
way off in the stubblc Whcreupon The vippr