Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1854-01-20
= snake nj the DIgglnrs.

there in the deep sinking. Mine ran about ~ SOe
and as it turned out pretty good, drove in ahoe
feet towards the side of the hill. One day hsS'
more than usually lucky so next morning be,mOOeso
was stirring made fast my rope to tree and da
went by It. hand over hand lit my slush lamrO oSN
proceeded along the drive on my hand and SM
eager to begin work, and thinking of the bio "sS
gets You remember | was always celebradisa" ~
making small drives. Shading the light with w
hand, I crawled in Near the far end | stonna,n ny
avoid crawling through small pool of w Tasu
Casting the light before 10 how the land u
horror of horrors lon the other side of the ny
perceived pair of small gittering grey eyes int
fixed on me, the cold, malignant expression Of w5I
forced the warm blood back 10 my heart with abon@
which nearly suffocated me. knew at once ,bOe
was snake, and deadly one, too. Arcb;nsa' I
neck with kissing noise, it collected itself fos .
fatal spring starting back, my head came in cO we
with the roof of the tunnel, and fell back sn re
and senseless How long lay in this state k n"N
not, but when came to consciousness first tbonSI
that was at home in the " big smoke y but vr,Sr
ally the truth forced itself upon me. Where r m
the snake Was bitten !? 10 the last mental an.
nv 7 cheerfully answered "No!" for most Of $ae
snakes are verv deadly and the bitten part swslIa
Immediately On consideration | remembered hq
the snake had reared for the spring, so it wasces
had fallen in the nick of time, and the reptile h.
passed over me but where il MOVE A .S
shudder passed over me when considered that @s /
snake must sill be in the ho.e perhaps even wiS
a few feet, watching with his CLASSY eyes, Or na
pairing for another spring. | am not easily frigbeN
ed, as you know, but for all the gold in Bendpoo"
would not be in that situation again. How wasf +
proceed My only weapon was driving uicl
grasping it, and creeping cautiously along, heard
noise in front Was it a snake? held my brpa%
in fearful suspense, with the sweat of agony moig
ing nv brow. No. 1t was only some loose son
falling from the roof breathed again, and with
forced courage crept sealthily along Arrived nsn
the mouth of the tunnel, was again startled by S.
ing large carpetsnake (rny late tormenoD cirCl,,
round the bottom of the hole and gliding half \
length up its slippery sides, darling in and out 6
forked tongue and slowly moving his head as
searching for an opening to hide itself. Being CON-
cealed in the dark tunnel had ample time for deR
Grafton. Evidently should be able to strike th
first blow if could succeed in reaching the mouth
without making noise. | made up my mind
once, perhaps rashly; | nigh have done better if
had waited until it was asleep. Mutlering PRAYER
| crept cautiously forward but the head Of my brk
caught against loose projecting stone, and down
came lot of earth. Cursing my bad luck, LOOKED
to see what effect it would have on the snake
was evidently aroused, twisting and comforting its
body into all sorts of knots and circles, at the same
time keeping It's piercing glance fixed on the mouth
of the tunnel Darling quickly from my conceal
ment, nailed the snake to the ground with my pick
With hiss of pain, it suddenly threw lis oId
round my leg, and partly drew it towards its head
recovering, planted my leg firmly, pulled out ny
bowie knife with my left hand, and cut the snake
two about foot from the head. Still the Siny
body was contracted round my leg, and still the fork
ed tongue was playing in and out, notwithstanding
the body was severed in two.
| clambered up the side of the hole, with the
snakes body still clinging TO my leg. When got
to the grass | again cut the snake in two, and IN.
wound it, thanking God for my narrow escape. The
snake measured eight feet six inches I went home
to my tent, and made out the day " fossicking" y
Bill and Tom send their remembrances and wishing
you luck, remain, yours, &c.
Letter. from Victoria. Sept. 3d.
How to Run Pieman.
Some time since $50 runs the current narrative,
the owner of a thriving mutton-pe concern, which
after much difficulty he had succeeded in establiE
ing with borrowed capital died before he had we
extrcated himself from the responsibilities of deb
The widow carried on the business after his deceaS
and throve we'll that specializing baker on tn
opposite side of the way, made her the offer Of h
hand. The lady refused, and the enraged suitc
determined on revenge, Immediately converted
baking into opposition pie-shop, and, acting O
the principle universal among Londen BAKERS of d
ing business for the first month two at loss mad
his pies twice as big as he could honestly afforded
make them. The consequence was, that the wdU
lost her custom, and was Fastening fast to ruin whe
a friend of her late husband, who was also q sma
creditor, paid her visit. She detailed her grew
prospects, '' Ho no." said the friend, that ere
the move, is it Never you mind. my dear. If
don't git your trade ag i'm, there amt no shake
mark me-that's all" So saying he took his eaV
About o'clock the same evening, when the baker
new ple-shop was crammed 10 overfowing and til
principal was below, experimenting the productO
of new BATCH in walks the widows friend in th
custom of a kennel-raker and elbowing his way
the counter dabs down upon it a brace of huge dea
cats, voclferatlng at the time to the asonsht
damsel in attendance, Tell your master my dea
as how them two makes six-and-thirty this wee
and say I'll bring the other four tomorrow arternoO
With that he staggered out and went his way.
powerful was the prejudice against cat-mutton amor
the population of the neighborhood that the sht
was clear in an instant, and the floor was covered vii
hastily abandoned specimens of every variety Gel
4 ments of circle.
The spirit shop at the corner of the street exPe
g enced an unusually large demand for goes,
: brandy. and lnterjecional, not purely grammatic
were not merely audible, but visible too in the d
tnct. 1t is averred that the ingenious expedien
the WIDOWS friend, founded as it was upon a pr
: found knowledge of human prejudices, had the d
, sired effect of restoring the ''balance of trade"
The widow recovered her commerce the resent
baker was done as if he had been shut up in his ov
e oven, and the friend who had brought about tt
measure of justice received the hand of the lady as
= reward for his interference
C'rloslt,es of London Life
THE EMPEROR ALExANDER-In the recent hSto
! ical and political work of Mons. Leowzon lie Du
;, late Charge de Mission to Russia, he relates Il
following anecdote:
4 During the reign of the Emperor Alexander
;. daughter of noble family in remote province
! in love with one of her fathers male domestcs a
o had the misfortune to become mother. Fear
q that her shame might be divulged she consent
IS that the partner of her guilt should destroy 4
0nu and ih both her parents dying few month,