White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-02-16
Asleep on Rattlesnake Den-Fearful
Position, g.. f-

Ah1CCP vi . 06bblCcubAC OO4-G CoA4ul
Position. b.. fr.
A correspondent Of the Missouri Dem
ocrat, writing from Paoli, Kansas Terri.
tory, on the 18th Of June, relates the fol-
lowing incident Of his own personal ex.
perience: aet ~ 800
On last Sunday evening the air was
so bewitchingly balmy. and the sky Sc
softly yelled by shadowy clouds, that
was seduced into heightened stroll
along the bluffs, which proudly aspire to
overlook the outrageous woodlands on
the one side, and the sunlit plains upon
the other, until reached an elevated pin
nacle, SO tall as to command q panoramic
view, whose picturesque and varied beau
ties ravished all my senses and lost me in
most dreamy reveries. q 1oE-Ff
I reclined upon this summit of the rock
with my head upon my hand, until, pres
emily, it rolled away upon cushion oil
springy moss, which grew there like an
emerald diadem, and / was locked in
that strange slumber which leaves you
semi conscious, and yet restraints volition.
l had laid thus several minutes, with my
left arm stretched to its extent, when at
the extremities of the fingers of that
hand, there was sensation, new and Pc
culiar that sent thrill Of pleasure to the
mind and heart; it vas soothing, draw
ing, titillating, as if the fingers were dis
solving away in delightful self-absorp-
tion. Just then. from this sort of bliss
ful abandon, was startled by the report
Of 4 gunshot within Flew PAGES of me.
I sprang to my feet. and with aStonish-
ment, saw my friend Mitchell standing
near and gazing at me with affixed look
Of CHASTITY horror Before l could in
quire what he meant, my attention was
caught by the sound of the most shrill,
keen, ringing rattle that ever penetrated
human ear; and on looking down | dis
covered huge rattlesnake with CORY
head, quivering and writhing in the ago
MES of death, and sending forth from his
erect tail the terrible tocsin that / heard.
From his fearful propinquity | began
to realize my position, bit not until !
heard an explanation from NJ. could ]
fully understand and appreciate its hor-
rors.
He told me that my resting place was
the top of q rattlssnaks den, and pointed
out the orifices through which they
passed; that he was in the habit Of COM
ing there on Sunday evenings to shoot
rattlesnakes; that when he approached
that evening, and saw me lying upon the
den. he supposed had been bitten and
was dead; that he crept nearer and saw
my respiration, and knew l was alive.
bat discovered a monstrous snake licking
nv hand and covering it with Shiny
coating, preparatory to deglutition; that
he made slight involuntary shuddering
exclamation of Ny God! which drew the
snakes attention and caused him to turn
his head, when he discharged load Of
buck-shot into his face and neck, mang-
ling and tearing them to pieces, and thus
saved my life. He had scarcely told me
this, which took bat moment, when rat
ties all around brought us to a recolIec-
ton that we were not yet free from dan
ger. We saw ten or fifteen large rattle
Snakes approaching us from every quar-
ter, with eyes glaring revengefully. barb
ed tongues thrusting threateningly and
rattlss sounding alarmingly.1 They are
brave and cannot be intimidated, and will
die over the dead body Of their compan-
ion sooner than desert it. We knew the
indomitable character of our enemy and
NJ. and I, with his rdoable-barreled gun,
and my sticks and stones. fought our way
out as best we could. You may imagine
that my ns1ss were slightly agitsted that
evening, - and that 7 dFssmed Of snakes
that night M. has killed one, hundred
and seventy Of them--the largest of
which had twenty-s six ratties. He says
the Indians. who have been in the habit
of hunting them for many years, have
killed much older ones, and have slain
tho1sanda