Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1855-08-30
Asleep on a RattleSnake Den.

! A correspondent of the Nilsson
Democrat, writing from Paoli, Kansa
: Territory, on the 18th of June, relate
1.-THE following incident of bis own PEI
sonal experience:
On last Sunday evening the al
was so bewitchingly balmy, and tn
the sky so softly veiied by shadow,
lelouds, that | was seduced into
Heightened stroll along the bluffs
(which proudly aspire to overlook tn
outrageous woodlands on the on
Iside, and the sunlit plains upon tn
Iother, until | reached an elevated pin
jnacle, so tall IS to command pan
oramic view, whose picturesque ant
varied beauties ravished all my senses
and lost me in most dreamy reVeries
l reclined upon the summit of the
rock with my head upon my hand
tilpresently it rolled away upon the
the cushion of a springy moss, which
grew like an emerald diadem, and /
was locked in the strange slumber
which leaves you semi-conscious, and
yet restraints volition. | had lain
thus several minutes, with my left arm
stretched to its extent, when, at the
extremities of the fingers of that
hand, there was sensation new and
peculiar, that sent thrill Of pleasure
to the mind and heart; it was sooth-
ing, drawing, and agreeAbly titillating,
as if the fingers were dissolying away
in q delightful selfabsorption. Just
then, from this sort of blissful a.
bandon, l was startled by the report
of gun, shot within few PAGES of
me. Isprang to my feet, and, with
astonishment, saw my friend Mitchell,
standing near and gazing at me with a
fixed look of CHASTITY horror. Before
I could enquire what he meant, my
attention was caught by the sound
of the most shrill, keen, ringing rattle
that ever penetrated human ear;
and, on looking down / discovered a
huge rattlesnake with CORY head, quiv-
ering and wreathing in the agonies of
death, and sending forth from his
erect tail the terrible tocsin that /
heard.
From his fearful propinquity !
began to realize my position, but not
until / heard an explanation from M.
could l fully understand and appre-
ciate its horrors.
He told me that my resting place
was the top Of rattlesnake den, and
pointed out the orilices through which
they passed; that he was in the habit
of coming there on Sunday evenings
to shoot rattlesnakes; that when he
approached thatevening, and saw me
lying upon the den, he supposed |
had been bitten and was dead; that
he had crept near, and saw my respira-
ton, and knew I was alive, but dis
covered a monstrous snake licking
my hand, and covering it with shiny |
coating, g,preparatoryto deglutition; that
he made slight, involuntary shud-
lering exclamation of my COOL which
irew the snakes attention, and caused
nim to turn his head, when he dischar-
sed load of buckshot into his face
md neck, mangling and tearing them
10 pieces, and thus sayed my Life. He
had scarcely told me- this, which took
but moment, when rattles all around
brought US to a recollection that we
we're not yet free from danger. We
saw ten or fifteen large rattlesnakes
approaching US from every quarter,
With eyes glaring revengefully, barbed
tongues thrusting threateningly, and
,attIes sounding alarnnngly. They
ire brave, and cannot be intimidated,
md Will die over the dead body of
heir companion sooner than desert
{. We knew the indomitable char
,cter of our enemy, and M. and /,
nth his double-barreied gun, and my
sticks and stones, fought orr way out
IS best we could. You may imagine
hat my nerves were slightly agitated
,hat'evening, and that | dreamed of
snakes that night. NJ. has killed
me hundred and seventy of them
he largest Of which had twenty-slx
'attles. He says the Indians, who
,ave been in the habit Of hunting t
mem for many years, have killed
much older ones, and have slain thou
,ands.