Minnesota weekly times. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1859, 1855-08-07

ASLEEP ON A RArTLRsNAKE DEN--FEARrUL Posi-
TIoS.--A correspondent of the Missouri Democrat,
writing from Paoli, Kansas Territory, onthe 18th
of june, relates the following incident of his
personal experience:
Son last Sunday evening tho air was so be-
witchingly balmy, and the sky so softly yelled by
shadowy clouds that / was induced into q
lengthy stroll along the bluffs, which proudly
pire to overlook the outrageous woodlands
the side, and the sun lit plains upon the other
until reached an elevated pinnacle, so tall as to
command panoramic view, whose picturesque
and varied beauties ravished all my senses, and
lost me in most dreamy revcries.
81 reclined upon the summit of the rock with
my head upon my hand, until, presently, it roll
cd away upon the cushion of springy moss, which
grew there like IN emerald diadem, and | was
locked in that strange slumbcr which leaves you
semi cOnsc. Ous, and vet restraints vOliton. | had
lain thus several minutes, with my left stretch
ed to its extent, when at the eXtremites of the
fingers of rhat hand there was II sensation, new
and peculiar that sent thrill of pleasure to the
mimi and heart it was soothing, drawing, and
agreeably ttillating, rs if the fingers were dis
solving away in delightful scf-absorption.
s'just then, from this sort of blissfu abandon,
| was startled by the report of gunshot within
a few PAGES of me. | sprang to my feet, and
with establishment saw my friend Mitchell stand.
ing near and gazing at me with n fixed look of
CHASTITY terror. Before could inquire what he
meant, my attention was caught by the sound of
the most shril, keen, ringing rattle that ever pen
etratcd human ear and on looking down dis
covered huge rattle-snake with CORY head, qniv
cring and writing in the agOnicS OF death, and
send inc forth from its erect tail the terrible tOcsn
that heard.
''From his fearful propinquity began to re-
alize my position, but not until heard an expla
nation from Nj. could | fully understand and
appreciate its horrors.
10 m mo hat NJ pI1ce thp tOp
Of "A rattlesnake den, and pointed out the orifccs
through which they passed that he was in the
habit of coming there too shoot rattlesnakes that
when he approached that evening, and saw me
lying upon the den, he supposed had been bitten
and was dead: that he crcpt nearer and saw my
respiration, and knew was alive, but discovering
a monstrOus snake licking my hand and covering
it with Shiny coating, preparatoryto deglu'ition
that he made slight, involuntary, shuddering
exclamation of My God which drew the snakes
attention aud caused him to turn his head, when
he discharged a load of buckshot into his face
and neck, manging and tearing them to pieces,
and thus saved my life. lie had scarcely told
me this, which took but moment, when rattes
all around brought us to a recollection that we
were not yet free from danger.
''We saw ten or fifteen large rattlcsnakcs APP
proachng us from every quarter, with eyes glar-
ing reven5 efuy, barbed tongues thruSting threat
eningly, and rattcS sounding alarmingly. They
are brave and cannot be inundated, ard will die
over the dead body of their companion sooner than
desert it. We knew the indomitable character Of
our enemy, and NJ. and |, with his doudle-bar
relied gun, and my sticks and stones, fought our
way out as best we could. You may imagine
that my nerves were slightly agtated that night
NJ. has killed one hundred and seven of them, the
larges: CT which had twenty six rattcs. lie VS.
the Indians who have been in the habit of hunting
them for many years, have killed much older ones,
and have slain thousands"