The Texas Republican. [volume] (Marshall, Tex.) 1849-1869, 1859-09-10
A SETTLERS HOLIDAY.
AN ADVENTURE IN KArfIRlASp.

JaCk -ulall-trades, and master of none"
However it might be, grew poorer and
poorer, until nothing seemed left of me
but emigration The Cape of Good Hope
at this time offered great advantages TO
settlers. SO hither | went Government
bestowed upon me what was styled
beautiful farm. but found it a lovely
wilderness, ON which the hand of civil
lied man had left no trace. Here, then,
was abundant scope for my particular
talents and by their diligent exercise,
aided by the service of n few llOttcntots,
! soon succeeded in erecting house, and
bringing under cultivation fields and
gardens. Sheep and oxen ! was com
PEELED to purchase, but obtained sum
cicnt numbers Of them to dot my hlli-
sides with their snowy il"ccos and dap
pied hides, and nj the end Of two years
| sat down, well pleased to rest from my
multilarious lahors, beneath the shade
of the vines and lig-trees, which were al
ready beginning TO spread abroad their
arms.
During all this time, | had never en-
joycd whole holiday, and my hall-oncs
had been few and far between and when
one day, two 90 the neighhoring settlers
asked me to Join u hunting party in the
wild, of the neutral territory, | accept.
ed their Invita- - with the delight Of n
boy As my farm was nearest to the
frontier, nay companions joined me there
the night before and as soon "a 1t
was light we started of for the place Of
meeting. some thirty miles distant.
Away we cantrrcd through green bow
cry lanes, pcrfumed with the starry bios
SONS Of the jasmine and aglow with the
clusters Of the scarlet gcrauum and the
towering laurel
Ga we dashed through little hrawling
rivers, and walked our horses up deep,
rocky gorgcs. where hundreds Of mon
keys lcaped from ledge to ledge, NOW
ing and chuttcriny at us as We passed,
and uttcring shrill cries Of anger rs they
sent down upon lis whole showers OF
stones aud branches, until at length we
reached the wide rolling prairie
We had achieved about two.thrds Of
our Journey, when we entered on dis
triet che4urrcd with elnmps Of trees bee
meath whose shade the grass waved long
and luNuriantly, and WAS thlekly stud.
dcd with flowers Among them was one
new to me-a sort of chandelier lilly,
Of immense size aud snowy whltCucss--
and immediat " resolved 10 obtain the
bulb Promising, therefore, to overtake
my companions, / hastily dismomtcd,
and throwing the bride over my horses
head, 20 insure his standing, and laying
my rite on the ground, | began t. dig
iur my prl1e " niic Was tino tu~iiN
,craping away the earth. my cyc was at-
traclcd by some slight agitation ot the
grass near me. which did not seem cN.
actk th,-cnccts Of wind even as look
ed. a strange wavy motion became dis
tineily visible The neNt moment with
q sudden spring, au enormous snake rose
up before me, alarng at me with hery
eyes and hooded crest, its open Jaws
emitting that low, yet terrific hiss which,
once heard isucVcr forgotten, and winch
appeared to agitate every one 81 the
sparkling coils into which he had drawn
his immense length.
wa, still ou my kncss, and for mo
mcnts or minutes. | know not which
for they appeared 10 me hours the snake
''''I IL ,,, ycry Lrnrt seemed to
o"'' '', UNI "s Wv, a,., ,ne,rl in horrible
s''iV ','''' 90 ~ i1,'.,s ho,pfy Nv
plood curdled. and deadly coldncs shot
through J'',N '.','' ,';,,ii ,nys,lf resist.
,,S1ou' "u" %"'"' .lla,'l, = NH scuso
US ~ ''9 ''" -, IMAM me and utter.
~ wy ~ t;'l sno,nc1 +, oppal
'"@ q '',' ~, &C. sn,,n., I'm my bet
'NIh my ','''" 'n :, ',nr ,ho Tlain
ana rushed '"'''S '''' Wv -, -,
That cry ct terror soon p'""S'' 'l'" .'.'
my companions nn' ~ t.'1 r,ar .'nA
there was q second Sl''ien' VI w." '"D
terror o9molnou II was t,o"' -, "y $50
eots'' WHOM ., g'' IN TT ,he g1ound with
i3"i,u S"uE S''"r r ,he sano snake
Tue mug s',, .l ' ~ nncl and f,re.lers.
w, w'p',u,', 'a ,arncnt three bullrls were
, 'uS %o ~ ,Gn Lndv If line cobra dc ca
WI III a =" followcd by three more,
p'uu, ", =. n l,s,n. nv n,ny steed was re-
~" ' cr,,n ,hc remains of his terrible
~ Wv
'""' t;,, /, tho nm.
bu' ''''c WI w. NV al cy.n while
fortunate at'.n". ~ n',tor from y
We WIZ ""N 'J o,lcavoriug to
hg,sn',' '''s p' I'm III, venom began To