Mariposa Democrat., 1857-05-06
Mariposa Democrat.
sccnes IN ,he west India islands.

tested with rattlesnakes A traveller describing
visit paid this country, relates the following
snake stories:
al once knew aplanter living in the interior
of the island, whose lands were so oyerrun with
these venomous reptiles, that the greater part
Of his slaves deserted him, and sought refuge
in the vast forests that cover the island. The
only slaves that remained were few that were
in irons at the time of the flight of their COM
panions, and were awaiting punishment for
some misdemeanor, and those slaves who
hoped to escape punishment by promising to
devote themselves to the determination of the
snakes Among the negroes in captivity was
one named Pegu, who was condemned to re-
ceive three hundred strokes of the rattan. The
hour for his punishment arrived. His master
came forth to witness the bloody scene. Pegu
was standing near the whipping block await
ing the moment when his hands and feet were
to be fastened to it, when he perceived rattle
snake gliding towards him through the grass
He did not stir. The rapid death following the
serpent's bite was preferable to the lingering
one which he felt awaited him under the over
seer's cane. The serpent coiled itself ready to
strike, when at this moment the planter caught
the peculiar sound of the rattle, and leaped
terror-stricken on one side. The snake, attract
ed by the motion, changed his intention, and
fancying that the planter was about to attack
him, glided rapidly towards the unhappy man,
who paralyzed with fear, remained rooted to
the ground Pegu seeing his masters peril,
leaped forward, and catching the snakes tail
with one hand, caught him by the neck with
the other, and after quarter of an hours
compression, succeeded in choking him. An
hour afterward Pegu received his three hun
dred lashes, and died that night under the pun
shment Such is gratitude in Martinique!
"a most affecting incident happened in this
same island while was staying there, passing
most of my time in the forests, or with that
wild race of cattle hunters known as Buccaneers
A fine, athletic negro, named Colo, belonging
to rich planter who lived thirty miles from
st. Pierre, was desperately cnamored of pret-
ty mulatto girl named Juanita, living on the
next plantation. But Juanita was coquettc,
and cruel as coquettes generally are Having
a slight tinge of white blood in her, she looked
down from an exalted height upon poor Colo,
who was black-blacker, in fact, than the ink
with which / am writing She treated him
shamefully, giving him an ounce of hope, and
a ton of bad treatment. Still Colo did not
despair, but pressed his suit on every oppor-
tunity. At last Juanita, finding her lover so
pertinacious that he must either be finally re-
jected or accepted, told him one day that she
had passion for rattesnakes' tails That she-
valued them in proportion to their length but
that as yet she had not been able to get tail
which contained twelve rings. Now, if he
brought her tail of twelve rings, she would
be his. Golo's heart sank, but still he deter
mined to undertake his dangerous task. What
was there he would not peril TO gain Juanita
Day after day, Colo, with burning brand of
pine wood in one hand and a short sabre in the
other, traversed the forests, listening for the
ominous rattling of the snakes. In point Of
numbers his success was prodigious; for there
is no better method Of killing the rattlesnake
than the one Colo adopted. Thrusting the
burning torch in his face, and, as he detests
fire, he is easily decapitated in the moment of
his confusion.
Nevertheless, Colo could not find a single
tail with twelve rings on it. He bad some with
eight, nine, and even one which had eleven
but when he laid this last before Juanita, she
was still inexorable, and declared that even
eleven and a half would not content her. At
last one day, when almost despairing of sue
cess, as Colo was crossing an open space, his
ear was caught by particularly loud and sono-
rous rattle. He stopped, and perceived an
enormous rattlesnake gliding towards him. Its
eyes were glowing with an intense fire--its
bifurcated tongue was agitated with an incon-
ceivable rapidity of motion. The gray and
yellow scales on its head and back glistened
with changeful lustre, like some silken sur
face on which light was playing Colo felt that
the hour was come when he should either win
Juanita or perish.
The size and whole appearance Of the snake
convinced him that he had twelve or more
rings in his tail, and he awaited his approach
with beating heart. The snake came gliding
on, and when within three feet coed himself
for a spring. Colo now seized the opportuni-
ty, and dashing his torch into the animals
jaws, severed the head from the body at
single blow 1t was with a throb of delight
that he discovered on STOPPING down to ex-
anime his prize, thirteen rings in his snakes
tail. While he was separating them from the
carcass, he felt slight pricking sensation in
his heel Turning quickly round, he discovered
to his horror that he had placed his foot on the
snakes severed head, in which the muscular
action still continued, and that, all leless as it
was it had bitten him
"Golo now knew that he was a dead man,
and his sole object was to see Juanita before
he expired Catching up his prize, which he
had purchased with his life, he rushed across