The Sierra citizen., 1854-07-29

| Somc partS OI II.
Weighing the words down With heav,
ballast of oaths, he said be wasn't afraid Q
anything in the snake line, f-om the Sc,
serpent down to the original snake tha
tempted Eve. asked him if he had eve
met with rsttlesnake since he had beel
in America, thinking would put hi
courage to the test on the morrow.
Seen rattlesnake! Yes, enough t,
sink seyenty-four! Went to Georgi,
on purpose to kill them!. Pshaw II
think that man that had killed boa
constructor in fair fight, should be afrait
Of little noisy flirt of snake that never
grew. bigger around than marline spike.
At this moment the boat was running
a bend near in shore, and the glare of ,
hinge fire at o woodward was thrown di
rectly under the chair of the braggart
when, to my utter amazement, saw there
snugly coiled, the huge proportions Of my
snake!
was Mortified and astopishcd; l coulG
neither speak nor move. /, had left hin
securely fastened in his cage-and yet
there it was at liberty, in his deadly coil
his eyes cleaning like living Goals. The
light was intercepted, and the foot Of the
sailor moved closer to the reptile, it com
menced its warning rattle, but slowly and
irregularly, showing it was not fully
aroused,
"What is that ~ exclaimed a dozen
voices.
The foot being withdrawn, the rattline
ceased before its nature or source could
be clearly traced.
"'Twas the steam escaping" said one
"a goose Kissing" said another.
"The wind" -.
"a trick to scare the, sailor" thought
4 good many; but knew it was rattle
snake in it's deadly coil.
The horror of.that moment / shall no,
attempt to describe; every second / ex.
qected to hear the shrek of the sailor as
the deadly fangs would penetrate his flesh
and l knew if vein were stricken nc
power on earth could avail him, and / was
utterly powerless to warn him Of his
danger. H,
at sounded monstrous like q rattle.
snake" observed passenger, "bnt there
IS no doctor or fool student on board and
nobody but .cusses like these would be
aakefl snakes bout. l was gwine up the
Mississippi wonst, when rattlesnake be.
longing to medical student on board got
out and bit one Of the passengers. The
poor critter didn't live ten minutes, and
the sawbone's prentice not much longer
reckon" ts
Ny haif stood on end, for there was an
earnestness about the man that told me be
was not jesting, ..;,.,J 4
lia a"YYou You didn't kill him, surely I" asked
some one.
aOh g no We didn't zactly xiii him, snch
cuttin' his throat, or putin, lead in his
holler cimbhn, for that would have been
takin'' the law inter our, own hands; but
we guv him fve-hundred lashes, treated
him to coat Of tar and feathers, made a
clean crop Of one ear, and swallow fork
slit, under bit and half crop Of the other,
and put him out on little island, up to
his mouth in water, and the river risin' a
slam foot an hour p
Not knowing but similar fate might
soon be mine, in agony with the colds sweat
streaming over me, listened to this in
fernal recital Of an instance Of the sum-
mary punishment termed Lynch Law
which the unavailability Of the proper
law 50 often drove the earliest settlers to,
and which unfortunately Is not abolished.
The sailor must again have moved hisfootf
closer to the snake than agreeable, for
his Internal rafting again recommended,
and this time clear, loud and contind6as,
to the tutored ear, indicating great dan
ger, the prelude to fatal spring.
] Ishoek off my lethargy, and shfieked
out. Don't move for your life! A
'lightl For Gods sake, bring light!-
Quick Quick r
No one moved Sinking / wasjesting.
"Mister," spoke tie sailor, al it's trick
to scare US, you'll miss the figure with
your childs fattles; jest bring your real
rattlesnakes along, aud I'H show you
whether he can frighten an English sailo,rr. !.
or not"
Hearing me call so loudly for . light.