The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1857-10-31


as We shooting, darting directly into
her eve, dazzling her gaze, defeating its sense
: of discrimination, and confusing strangely its
sense of perception. She felt dizzy, for as
she looked, cloud of colors-bright, gay,
various colors-aoated and hung like so
much drapery around the single object that
had so secured her attention, and spell-bound
herfeet. Her limbs felt momentarily more and
more insecure, her blood grew cold, and she
seemed to feel the gradual freeze of vein by
vein, throughout her person. At that mo-
ment, rustling was heard in the branches
of the tree beside her, and the bird, which
had repeatedly uttered single cry above
her, as it were of warning, flew away from
his station with a scream more piercing than
ever. This movement had the effect for which
it seemed intended, of bringing back to her a
portion Of that consciousness she had been
nearly deprived of before. She strove to
move from the beautiful but terrible presence,
but for while she strove in vain. The rich,
star-like glance still rivetcd her own, and the
subtle fascination kept her bound. The men,
tai energies. however, in the moment of their
greatest trial, now gathered suddenly to her
aid. and with desperate effort, but with a
feeling of most annoying uncertainty and
dread, she succeeded partially in the attempt,
and threw her arms backwards, her hands
grasping the neighboring tree, feeble, totter-
ing. and depending upon it for that support
which her own limbs almost entirely denied
her. With her movement came. however. the
full development of the powerful spell and
dreadful mystery before her.
"As her feet receded, though but single
pace. from the tree upon which she now rest
ed. the oudibly o'ticuloted ring, like that of
the watch when wound up with the verge
broken, announced the nature of the splendid
yet dangerous presence, in the form of a
fore her, living coiled at the bottom of beau
tiful shrub, with which. to her dreaming eve
many of its own glorious hucs had been asso-
ciatcd She was at length conscious enough
to perceive and feel her danger but terror
had deprived her of the strength necessary to
fly from her dreadful enemy. There still
glared the eye, beautifully bright and pier
cling, fixed upon her own; and, seeming
ly in the spirit of sport. the in
sduous reptile slowly uuwound himself from
his coil, but only to wind himself up again
into his muscular rings-hiS great fd hco'l
rising IN the m'l<t, and slomly "od,liny, as 1t
were, towa,d her, the eye still periny into her
o~m. the rottle slightly ringing at Intervals,
and giving forth that paraly sound. which,
once heard, is remembered forever. The rep
tile all this while seeming conscious of, and
to sport with, while seeking to excite her ter
rors Now, with its flat head, distendctl
mouth. and curying neck. would it dart forth
its long form to warn her-its fatal teeth, ull-
folding on either side of its upper jaws, seem
ing to threaten her with instantaneous death,
while its powerful eye shot forth fatal CLAN
ccs of that fatal fascination, Indignantly
bright, which, by paraysing with moved
form of terror and of beauty. may readily
account for the spell which it possesses of
binding the feet of the timid, and DENYING
even to fear the privilege of flight. Could
she have fled? She felt the necessity, but
the power of her limbs was gone: and there
still it lay, coiling and uncoiling, its arched
neck glittcring like a ring of bronzcd copper.
bright and lurid, and the dreadful beauty of
its eye still fastened, cargcrly contemplating
the victim, while the lenlulous rattle still
ring the dcmh-mote, as if to prepare the con-
scious mind for the fate which is momentarily
approaching the blow. Neouwh2e, the still
ness became dcoth-lke miM all surrounding
objects. The bird had gone with its scream
and rush. The breeze was silent. The vines
ceased to wave. The leaves family quivered
on their stems. The serpent once more lay
still, but the eye was never turned away from
the victim. Its corded muscles are all i'll a
coil. They have but to unclasp suddenly,
and their dreadful foils will be upon her in
full length, and the fatal teeth will strike, and
the deadly venom which they secrete will min
gle with the life blood in her veins.
"The terrified damsel, her full conscious
ness restored, but not her strength, feels all
danger. She sees all the sport of the terri
BILE reptile is at an end. She cannot now mis-
take the horrid expression of his eye. She
tries to scream, but her voice dies away to a
feeble gurgling in her throat. Her tongue
was paralized-her lips sealed once more
she strives for flight, but her limbs refuse
their Office. She has nothing left of life but
its fearful consciousness. 1t is in her despair
that, as last effort, she succeeded to scream
with single cry, forced from her by this ac-
cumulated agony, she sinks down upon the
grass before her enemy-her eyes, however,
still open, and still looking upon those which
direct their gaze forever upon them. She
sees him approach, now advancing, now re-
ceding, now swelling in every part with some
thing like anger, while his neck arched beau
tifully, like that of wild horse under the
curb, until at length, tired, as it were, of play.
like the cat with her victim, she sees the neck
growing larger, and becoming completely