Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-02-04

"mo-N Ol'b1 WIN IuSrs Tvs hetu Hatfntu,
lts eyes gli,,ercd like diamond points. and
fearful prolonged hiss issued from its mouth.
The man made ono step towards it. when
unable longer to control It's passion to strike.
IL leapod forward and lell, iull length upon
the grass, close a, bis feet. Before IL could
again throw itself into coil, he set
zed IL with AFFIRM grasp, about six inchs.
from the head, and holding II or at arm s.
length from his person, lifted il up from
the ground.
Tho rage and contoFlions Of the now i'm
prisoDed reptile were terrible u behold.
Through the air, and round and rOnnd tho
arm Of the performer, IL twisted and wrlth-
Cd tho oaudal extremity Of its body, max
ing. all the time, montahous and fearful
whiI with its rattles. aud ossaying every
momen, TO strike his arm, or his person.
The spectators shuddercd with horror and
alarm at the sight bat the intrepid eIpcri-
menier, confident in las art, betrayed nei,h-
cr fear nor doubt as TO the certainty OF hi.
triumph.
From the moment he first siezed tho
snake. he had looked with n Fixed, almost
unwinkins gaze, into it, Eyes, which the
serpent apparently returned with look
eq.ally steady and fierce. Dy degrees the
contortions oi its body became less violent.
and It's efforts TO strike les, frequent. The
arm Of the man was gradually bent, 80 as
10 bring the snake by slow approaches,
nearer 10 his face. At length overcome by
the magnetic fascination OF bis look, it lay
harmles. and unresisiing in his grasp. llo
placed il In his bosom, twincd u around his
neck and iondied 1t in his hands. The
subduCd creature. shorn OF lis native fcroc-
iy yielded itself to the power OF tho victor,
and permitted him to cArcss and handle il
with impuniiy.
The spectators broke forth into audible
expressions Of admiration at the accomplish
ment ofthis remarkable feat. The perform.
cr passed his la, around for collection,
AID soon had The satisfaction Of receiving It
back we'll rrplcnishel with eoins-,he en-.
thusasim Of the visitors prompting them to
make liberal donation as reward Tor the
peril he had brayed, aud the entertainment
he had Afforded.
Satisfied with hi. success. the snake tanner
vanished from the oh Swee, Springs as
suddenly as be had come. In a few days.
however, he made his appearance at Anoth-
er and not very dsian, watering.place in
,l,c DID Dominion, where no repeated, bo'
foro a wondering crowd Of spcetotor'. the
same frats VIII his snake A new and
mos, rcrlous addition was destined to b,
made a, th,' place to the alm.'t Abulou,
let OF his ache, smcnt-.
\ countryman brought him, ono day, u
r,,lr'uakr, recently caught. which wa,
sail to be peculiarly ,icrou, aud dangerous.
lie bJush, IL, and ann,unceI hi, intention
to tame it upon the srccn,wirl in front Of
tie visitors hotel. \ largo crowd Assem-.
bled to wi,nes. the feat. \ vacant spacg
being lcit in their miIs, for tho experiment.
"a very large and most usly.lo1kins snake
was placed upon the srouni aud provok.
cd to anger by a ieisncd attack with the
100, Of the performer. ~ the proper mo-
l.. If.f .If 81
threw it violently upon the ground. eK.
claiming that no ~as bitten in she hand
the crowd quickly drew back, and the stun
ned reptile lay motIonle.s where it fell.
Tho man at once applied his lip, to the
wound aud sucked i, with great casernes,
for several moments. Finding no relief
from the pain which be endured, he next
made several inci'lons with tho point Of
his knife, in the he.h Of hs wounded hand
and arm. Then taking FROM hIs pocket q
large white bean, he scraped and pounded
portion Of il into a thin, impalpablc powder
which he rubbed into tho punctgros upon
his arm. lie bat of and swallowed
another portion ol tho same bean. This
specific he called the Cedron bean. "lt
grows" he said, I'm the East, aud is an
lnlalible cure for the bite Of yenomous rep.
tiles"
/ In the mean time the virus, having be.
come dtlisci throughout his system, began
to produce painful and alarming symptoms.
The arm aud hand, swollen 10 an enormous
sIzs, assumed a liyid hue. Vertigo, nausea
and stupOr-the three most fatal symptoms
in cases OF assaul, upon the powers Of lie
by reptile poson-began to supervene.
Death seemed 10 eyitablc, and almost at
hand
The courageous man refused either to 81,
or lie down, but walked backwards and
forward altering, occasionally suppressed
groan OF anguish. The torture OF the Pain
le endured forced the perspirilion in
\ streams from his forehead and face. To
the enquiry Of some one who asked him IL
he suffered much. he replied, Yes, more
than tongue eau express or you can con-
ceiye."
The landlord OF the springs, alarmed a,
the fatal result Of the experiment, and ap.
prehensi'e that the snakes might escape to
iniesi his premises, rushed out cudgel in
hand. and with imprecations, to kill them.
The sick man whose first care after bolns
bitten, had been to replace and sCcureall the
snakes, including the untausd one, in their
boxes, seemed to forget his own safsrinss in
the imminence Of the peril which thrSaten-