, 1864-03-05

| ILc OOly cHancc I'd reIreaI was tDrOuS4
an opening in the side some twenty fcet
below the ground; and in order that mont
of the reptiles should escape through this
the hunters, obtaining water from neigh
boring spring, made thick paste from Q
quantity of rich mould lying about, and
dropping it down, rammed it tightly in the
opening, thus plugging it entirely up,
And now the slaughter commenced. A
volley that did much execution was fired
down into the midst Of the serpents, which
rcdoubled their previous angry manifesto
tions. Round Upon round was hurled upon
the entrappei rattlesnakes, which, finding
no way Of getting out Of their fatal confne'
ment, moved round and round their prison
with astonishing celebrity.
jesse Slocum, Jobs eldest son, at last
becoming tired of firing, seized his ready
constructed lance, and creeping midway out
upon the trunk of the fallen tree, commenced
to drive the sharp edge Of the plane iron at
the bodies and heads Of the writhing, wrig-
Cling snakes, which now presented horrid
appearance. Covered with their own blood,
the furious reptiles, leaping and almost fly
ing around their den, rendered the sides
thereof, to the hight Of six or eight feet, red
and CORY.
For some time jesse SlOcum occupied his
position, dealing death below; when one of
his companions, noticing peculiar swaying
motion Of the tree, called to him to come off
at once, or there might be an accident. AT
this he burst into hearty laugh, and re-
newed his work, exclaiRaing:
"If you'll only hush up, I'll have some
nice rattlesuake pie ready for you in very
little while" rla..r
As he finished this remark, q huge serpent
arose from the almost seething mass directly
under him, on perceiying which he raised
his weapon as high as possible, and taking
true aim, delivered terrible blow directly
upon the reptiles neck. But even us he
did so, the further end Of the tree split, and
sunk, with a harsh, scraping noise, about
half way down the side Of the horrid well,
where, resting for moment, it fell with a
dull thump to the bottom.
jesse was a powerfully built man, and,
when he saw his danger, he had like light
ming managed to turn himself completely
round and clasp the trunk with both hands
as the tree fell-the roots Of which still
held, howeycr-the shock caused him to
slip from the upper to the under side, SO
that he was now compelled to support his
own weight in that perilOus position. Nei-
ther could he move, for should he attempt
to recover himself he would inevitably fall
into the reekipp, loathsome mass beneath,
where he would have become the victim Of
those rattlesnakes which had as vet escaped
their doom. Many Of the venomous rep
tiles would now and then strike at jesse,
or else at his cap, that had dropped from
his head among them. Finding himself
fast giving out, he called out in u husky,
choking voice to one of his companions.
"ShOot me-shoot me, Bill, for heay-
ems sake! You can't save me, and so don I
let me fall in alive ~ "H.
The father, who till this moment seemed
rooted TO the ground with his sons danger,
us the tones Of the fearful entreaty fell
upon his car, started, and turning to those
around him, inquired in cool, firm tone,
/" Have any Of YOU any thongs 7" ~
Here's some," cried several in breath
Grasping them quickly, he turned to Jesse,
exclaiming in an encouraging tone: 2
"Hold on a little longer, lad, and I'll
save you" laqsr - r..r r.'
Then, scizing hatchet from one of the
group, job Slocum fastened along the tree
to where his sons arms clutched the trunk.
Drawing his stout knife, he placed the point
in crack, and with blow or so with the
hatchct, drove il up to the hilt in the wood.
Doubling one Of the thongs, he looped it
round the primitive staple, and whirling
the two loose ends under Jesso's body,
caught them, and drawing the thong tightly
up, kuottod it about tho handle of the
knife. Creeping further along, he secured,