Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1857-1858, 1857-09-23
A THRILLING SKETCH.
CHARMED BIZ A RArrLEsNAKE.
81 ". eIL4oaE snnrs.


before the maiden rose a little clamp of bushes
bright tangled leaves hsuntine wide in glossiest
e'eSn' Win vines trailing over them thicklY decked
IN Que ana crimson flowers. Her eve eoum0Red
Vac1usy with with these; fastened by star-ke
.iu'ug gisnce, subtle ray that shot out from the
"a green leaves, seemingt 70 be their very eye
ana stnHing out fluid lustre that seemed to stream
over the space between and find its way into her
2"h eyes very piercing and beautiful that sub
We brightness Of the sweetest, strongest power.
anu now the leaves QuiVored and seemed to fl pat
way only 20 return and the vines waved and
swung away 10 fantastic maZes, unfolding ever
HaFming varieties of form aud color to her gag
out the star-like eye ever stesdiast bright
gorgeous, IN their midst, and still fastened with
strange fondness upon her own. How beautiful
WIN "ondrous Intensity did it CLEAN and dilate.
RIo"lng larger and more lustrous with every beam
II sent forth. And her own glance became intense,
nzed, also; but with dreaming sense which con-
lured up the widest aDcirs terribly beautiful that
look ner soul away from her and wrapt it about as
with spell She woull have hed, she would have
How'd out she had no power to move. The viii
was wanting to her flight. She felt that she coull
nave oent forward to plu, K the gem-ke thing from
the bosom OF the leaf in which il seemed to grow,
and which irradiated with its bright, white CLEAN;
but ever So she stretched forth her hand and bent
forward, she heard a rush of wings an thrill
scream from The tree above her-such a scream
the mocking bird m kes when angrily il raises its
dusky chest and flaps its wings furiously against
its slender siies. Such a scream seemed like
warning, and though yet unawakened to full con
seriousness, 1t startled and forbade her effort.
more than once 10 her survey of this strange
object had she heard that shrill note OF warning,
and to her mind tue same vague consciousness of
evil presence. But the Star like eye still up
on her OTn-a small. bright eye, quick like that OF
bird now steady in its place, and observant serm
ingly only of hers; now dsrting forward with all
the clustering leaves about it. and shooting up to-
ward, IS if wooiug her to seize. At another mo-
ment riVeted to the vine whica lay around it. il
would whrl round and round, dszzingly bright and
beautiful even torch, waving hurriedly by night
in the hands of some playful boy but in all this
time the glance was never taken from her own
there it grew, fxed-a very principle of light-snd
With bright subtle, burning, piercing, fascinating
CLEAN, such gathers in vapoTs above the old
grave, and binds Us as we loOk-shootiDg, darling
directly into her eye dazzling her gaze, defeating
its Of discrimination, and confusing strangely
its sense OF perception. She felt dizzy, for as she
looked, cloud of colors, bright gay various COL
oFs hoated and hung like go much draperY around
the single object that had so secured her attention,
and sptlbound her feet. Her limbs felt momsntly
more and more insecure, her blood grew cold, and
she seemed to feel thu gradual freeze of vein ~
vein, throughout her person. At that moment a
Fnstling was heard 10 the branches of the be-
side her, and the bird, which had repeatedly utter
ed single cry above her, it were of warning,
few away from his station with a scream more
for which it seemed intended, of bringing back TO
her portion OF that consciousness she had been
nearly deprived OF before. She strove to move from
the beautiful but terrible presence, but for a while
she stroVe In vain, The rich, star-ke glance still
Fiveted her own, and the subtle fascination kept
her bound The mental energies, how, yer, in the
moment of their greatest trial. now gathered sud-
denly to her aid. and with a desperate effort, but
with feeling of most annoying uRc. rtaiBty and
dread, she succeeded partially in the attempt, and
threw her aTms backwards, her hsnGs graspiug the
ueia hboring tree, feeble lettering and d. D ndng
upon it for that support which her own limits al
most entirely denied her, With her movement
came, however, the full development Of the powtr
ful spell and dreadful mystery before her.
"As her feet receded, thou n but a single pace,
to the which she now rested the aUdi6Iy ar
tctlLdted ring like t.at of the watch when wound
up with the verge broken, snuouDc d the nature OF
the SPLENDID yet dangerous presence, ia the form
OF monster rattlesDske, now out a few feet before
her, lying coiled at the bottom OF beautiful shrub
with which to her dreaming eye, many of It's own
glorious hues had been associated. She was at
length conscious enough to perceive and feel ner
danger; but had deprived her Of the strength
necessary TO fly from her dreadful enemy. Their q,
still gared the eye beautifully bright aud piercing
fixed upon her own; and, seemingly in the spirit
of sport, the insdioUs reptile slowly Ound him.
self from his coil but only 10 wind himself up again
into his Muscular rings, his great fiat head rising
i1 the midst, aud siOt0lg Eodding 1t tO5aTd
her. the eve stW pesritg into her OtOn the rattle
slight ringing at intervals, and giving forth that
paralyzing sound, which once heard, is remembered
forever. The reptile all this while seeming conscious
Of, and to sport with while seeking TO excite her
terrors. Now with its fat head, disterdrd mouth
and curvipg neck, would it dart forth its long form
to warn her--its fatal teeth, unfolding on either
side OF its upper jaws seeming to threaten her with
instantaneous death, while It's powerful eye shot
forth glHnces of that fatal fascination magnan ty
brig viii nv ~ viii cd ~
terror and of beauty, tasy readily for the
spell which 1t possesses of biuGng the feet Of the
timid, and denying even to fear the privilege of
flight Gould she have ded? She felt the necessi
", bat the power of her limbs gone; and there
stil Il lay, coiling aud uucoing, its arcued neck
slitt, ring like I ring of bronzed copper bright aud
luTId, and the dreadful beauty OF is eye still fas-
tened, eagerly contemp plating the victim, while the
psAdulOS rattle stiH YstHg the death-note, IL to
prepaTe the conscious MUD for the fate which is
! mOmently approaching the blow. NeanDhae the
stiffness became deathtke ruth all surrounding OBJ
jeetS. The bird mad gone with its scream and rush
! The breeze was silent. The vines ceased to wave.
The leaves family qnivered on their stems. The
serpent once more lay still, but the eye vas never
turned away from the victim. It's corded muscles
all in coil They have but to unclssp sud
denly, and the dreadful foiis will be upon her in
full length, and the fatal teeth will strike. and the
deadly venom which they secFete will mngle with
the life blood in her veins
: The terrified DAMS ], her foil consciousness re
stored but not her strength, feds ali her danger
Size that the sport Of the terrible reptile Is al
Gls end She cannot mist Ike the horrid eE-
preston Of hes eye. she tries To scream, but her
voice died away 20 = feeble eurgling ia her throat
Her tongue is paralyzed-her lips sealed; ouce
more she strives for flight, bat her limbs refuse
their Office. She has nothing ieit vi life but lie
fearful consciousness IL is ia her despair that as
4 last effort she succeeds 10 scream single uild
cry, forced from her 10y this accumulated agony:
she sinks down upon the grass before her enemy
hereyes. however, sill opsn, and still looking upon
hose which directs forever upon them. Size Gees
hin approach, nov advancing, nov reeeding; now
swelling Ia every part with something like anger
Hhile bic neck arched beautifully, Ike that OF a
aild horse under the curb, until al length, tired
as Il we're OF play, ike the cat with her victim, she
sees the neck grosing larger and becoming COM
Pletely bowed as ii 30 sirike-the huge jaw uncle
sung almost directly above her the long, tFibulated
t-ngi charged with venom, prOtFudug IRON the
eaveFuons mOuth-ahd she sees no morI Iasrn-
soiity came 70 her aid, aud ske lay almost lieless
under the folds OF the very monster"
Nothing Ia aucisnF modern literature Is more
slnkingy conceived or viviaiy described thau this
scene a this momeat sben Sc fesl that tue
summer AR Is unchanged With this evil pFrseDe,,
al nature aghsst in her sohtades under these
human pangs, the arrow Of young savage trans
h1es tue neck Of th~ rePtils, AMI thus aside
the deadly fang The accessories are ali ia keep
1ng-ihe snaks-lke Via; the golden and crimson
blooms, she shadows OF the Old woods, the cry OF
the bird; all enhance the sense OF the beautiful aud
and remote, she touches which have it4licised
heghtsn the ehect, tfi We feel the g1tsring eye OF
NE beast aud IFS terrible uuduatiOBs riss image
IKE 20 the mind, ead We nos all the beuisnsies
o. Nature aFa q var sith she spirit Of tie reptile