The Shasta courier., 1864-01-23
SHASTA COURIER.
The Serpent's Den.

cabin was built upon the banks of beauti
ful and romantic stream, that, after mean
dering in the valleys and through. the dense
forests, at length empticd its waters into the
Chic.
One day, in the spring of l799, Jobs two
sons, Jesse and Thomas, in company with
several other of the neighboring settlers, had
made up bunting party, intending to be
gone some days. They took up their line OF
march into dense piece of woods to the
northward, and after making their exit from
this, commenced the ascent of steep and
rocky declivity. They bad reached about
half way up. when all at once the foremost
OF them started lack with surprise and hor
ror. as the we'll known sound of the rattle
snake tell upon their ears. Immediately fol
lowing the alarm. they beheld numbers of
these venomous reptiles directly in their
path, some of them of huge size, and all
having their heads raised and thrown back in
threatening manner. But the early pio-
neers were men not easily frightened by such
foe; and our heroes after procuring good
hickory cudgels, pressed on TO the encoun
ter.
As they approached, the serpents-which.
while the party had been cutting their slaves,
had become passive-again reused up and
assumed the defensive. darting out their
tongues, and sounding their rattles fercely in
defiance. The battle now commenced in
real earnest-the snakes striking IN great an.
ger at the men, and they in turn avoiding the
danger of being bitten, and showering heavy
and desperate blows upon the reptiles. The
latter, after prolonged and savage contest.
finally fed, or Father retreated, down into
the crevice of some rocks near the brow Of the
bill.
The attacking party advanced with great
caution to the opening expecting to see the
enemy start up and renew the fight. Hearing
no rattle, however. the boldest of the men,
going down upon their knees peered into the
fssure; bat nothing was to be seen of the
serpents.
On counting the number that had been
killed, the hunters found that there were be-
tween fifty and sixty, some of them being
nearly five feet in length. and in the largest
part ofthe body were as thick as a mans leg
below the calf
None of the party having received any in
jury, they all proceeded on their way 70 the
place where they intended to hunt After
prolonging the excursion some three or four
days, the company returned in fine spirits.
Jesse and Thomas mentioned the incident of
their encountering the rattlesnakes to their
natural peculiarites of the spot reioned
8. Well, lads, we will 90 over there to NOR
row, and III warrant you, we'll have a fine
time of it,
Accordingly, the next morning, together
with his two sons and several of his neigh
bors, Job proceeded to the scene of previous
encounter. And there, piled in heap, he
saw the dead serrents. just as they had been
left by the victors. But the most thorough
search Of the locality failed to discover the
whereabouts OF single living one. This
very much astonished all present. with the
exception of cid dob, who, turning to Jesse,
said
LEND me .hatlpole, lad, and I'll see if |
can't find them
Having obtained the instrument referred
to, which was nothing more than a large and
heavy plane iron, lashed to the extremity of
long ashen pole, he proceeded to the crevice
where the reptiles had retreated after their
previous defeat. Parting some of the thick
underbrush that covered it partially over. he
thrust his weapon as far down as practi-
cable, though the jagged nature of the sides
OF the hssure prevented him from pushing it
further than half the length of the pole
I" There must be some sort of hiding
place where the rafting eels have crept into,
and sneaked themselves snug awavi' ex-
claimed Job, determiuedly and angrily. as he
arose to his feet. and drove the keen edged
weapon into the trunk of an old tree that had
been blown down by storm. And as be did
so, sharp rattle was heard in dense, al
most lmpen atrable ihicket, some ten or twelve
feet behind where be stood.
''Look out lads--there's the ugly var
mints; and well have them all around in
fha hal, % =. .
turning in the direction from which the omi-
nous wa"'.ing had come.
In few moments. by Jobs order. two
sturdy fellows were clearing away the entan-
gled growth of bushes; and after working
hard for half an hour. they succeeded in solv
ing the mystery, in the discovery of the hid
ing place Of the reptiles.
1t was an irregular cavern, or rather natu
raj pit, whose sides were almost perpendicu
lar, az about thirteen or fourteen feet deep
On the western edge of this natural WE'LL a
large tree had been growing and had fallen
across the top in such manner that the roots
resting on one side and the branches on the
other, 1t formed complete bridge across
Inc bottom of the pit was literally swarming
with the loatnsome serpsnts, which no sooner
perceived the hunters than they set npa hid
eous noise, rafting and kissing violently.
Ihe only chance To retreat was through an
opening In tie side some twenty feet below
the ground and in order that none of the
reptiles should escape through this. the hunt
ers, obtaining water from Il neighboring
spring, made thick paste from quantity Of
rich mould lying about, and dropping j;
down, rammed 1t very tightly in the open
ing. thus plugging it entirely up.
And now the slaughter commenced. 4
volley that did much execution WAS fred
down into the midst of the serpents, which
redoubled their previous angry manifesto
tions. Round upon round was hurled upon
the entrapped rattlesnakes. which finding no
way of getting out of their fatal confinement.
moved round and round their prison with
astonishing caerity.
Jesse Slocum. Jobs eldest son. at last be
coming tired of firing. seized his ready con-
structed lance. and creeping midway cut up
on 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 tlisir own blood,
the furious reptiles, leaning and almost ivinc