The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1862-03-18

JOHN was no cnNard, but he WAS mort
ally afraid Of snake. ~Self preservation
sa as the frs, passage" that flashed across
hts mint, and 'lrg. take eare u the body
va. TIE next Dropping he srylhy Aed
springing around ike top, be vas 'sady
20 strike 2IU gail. ~hen at lbatf Et
ihr snake WAS near enough 10 ht his
cr,okrd teeth into johns SHIRT jas. Yose
ihe hem. With tremendous spl be
started Of with The ,perd u locol be.
Iii. iirst jump lolk the snake cl-A n,sn
the ground, and Is he stole a hasiy alce
over liis shoulder. he wa, horrihrd ! ace
the reptile securely fastened 10 tie exsremi-
iy Of hi. garment. whllc The rapidity with
which he rushed forward. kept the serpent
extended at an angie Of ninety degrees
with lis body.
Here was quandary. Ii he stopped
the snake would coil about his body, and
squeeze him to death; If lie continued The
race he must soon fall from sheer sxhaus-
ton. On he flew, scarce daring to think
how this dreadful race Was TO end. In
slincti.ey he had taken the direction Of
home feeling of secrily came over HIM.
Suddenly flashed across his mind the true
state ot atlairs--his father gone the quilt
ing aud worse than all. the girls The
mex momcht he lei, the body OF the cold,
clhnuy m aisler in contact with my bare
! legs, hts tail creeping around them IN IA
sort Of cozening way, as by way OF tieki-
ing John upon the knees.
THIS was TO much for human endurance.
With yell, such As man never uttered,
save ia mortal terror, poor John set for
ward st break-neck speed, and once more
had the pleasure OF seeing the snake r.
sumo his horizontal pisllion, somewhat
after the tail OF comet.
/ On. on they few John forgot the
quilting, forgot The the girls, forgot every
thing but the snake.
/ His active exercise, Che paid particular
attention 10 his runuing,) together witll
the excessive heart, had brought Oh the
nose bleed, aud as hr ran, ears erect and
/ head thrown back, his chin, throti and
shirt o-om err ued with the flowing
stream.
HIS first shrek had started the qniltcfi,
AMI orlli hey rash d, wondering il sol (
Indian wa, not proving about. by 4
+ lime John WAS wnhin lew rods OF Il
barn, slhi III auug at the Top OF his >pei
his ins turned SO that hr might keep
eye on the snake a d with the other cls
serve what COURSE he must take. III
/ friendly barn now concealed him from u
sight ., the girls. He knew the girls
were in the yard, having caught glimpse
0 them as they rushed from the house
A few more bounds and he would be in
their niisI. For moment modesty over
came fear, aud he halted. The snake,
evidently pleased with his rapid trans
portaIion, manifested his gratitude by
attempting 10 eniold the legs of our hero
within his embrace.
Wnh an explosive "ouch p and urged
forward By 'cl cunslances over which he
had no control, poor John bounded on
The next moment hs VAS in full view OF
1 the girls, AID as he turned the corner OF
! the barn the snake came round with a
wliz, some what after the fashion Of 4 coach
wplp.
4 Having reached the barn-yarl, to his
disnay, he found the bars up. But time
was too precious to be wasted in letting
down bars. Gathering all his strength, he
I bounded into the air, snake ditto and as
he alightcd on the other side, his snake
ships tail cracked across tile upper bar
swapping like an India cracker.
Again John set forward. now utterly
regardless of the giris, fer the extra tickle
from the snakes tail as he leaped the bars
banIshed all his bashiuness and modesty,
and . ain he had the pleasure Of finding
the snake in straight line, drawing stead
| lily At the hem OF his solitary garment.
The house now became the centre of
attraction, aud around il he revolved with
the ,peed Of thought Four times in each
revolution, as lie turned tie corner, his
snakeship came round with a whiE that
was quite refreshing
While describing the the third circle,
[ 80 TIC SA'aS hSat tbN b tNuP u VI NVtiHSi Sia ~ -
girls, without removing hts gaze from the
snake, he managed TO cry OUT
"Call man y
The next moment he had whi,kei out
ofsight, and as quick as thought reappeared
II The other end q The house
"Call man p
Away he whIrled again, turning the
corner 30 rapidly tna the wniz OF tbe snake
sounded hallway between low whistle
aud Tue repeated pronunciation Of doubie-o.
Before eia.er OF the girls hal stirred
tro,n their tracks, he had performed an
other reSouiion---
~Cail y man
A9at he flew once more, but bis strength
was rapiai, failing. Nancy Clark was
he hrst TO recover her presence Of mind,
and selling icOppolr, she took her sta
tiUu near the coruer OF Tile house aad AS
Join reappear~d, brought Il down upon
the snake with force taal broke his back
AM his bold upon Johns neither garment
Al tic same time.
Z IL. Il. a