The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1867-08-02


enemy. No sooner, however, had he thrown
the stone when he heard fearful rustling
among The brush to his left, and another
Whistle louder and shriller than the first.
Turning his eye in the direction FROM
whence came the noise, he saw a nionstroua-
black snake (facetl coming directly toward
him, with his head erected about Eve feet
from the ground, and his forked tongue dar.
ting from hls distended laws as If bent oil
light. The professor twhe u On aeknoHi.
edged crack shot Immediately raised hiG
carbine, fred, and had the proud salisiac.
tiop of seeing the monster snake roll ovet
In the hgoniOs of death-having split hid
head open with the ball. This proved bus
the comfhenoefnent Of tho battle f6t be-
iere the professor had time to congrhtulAts
himself upon his success in VanqGishing
two OF his foes, a third one, measuring
about eleven feet in length, and thick ia
proportion, had approached to within few
feet of hini--his head erect--hissinr. and
dartiug his tongue out in q manner to appat
the stoutest heart. To retreat was out Of
the questions q fight was the only alterna:
tive, and quick as thought he leveled his
tcarbine at the snakes head, hut, .unfortu.
nately, missed it, at the same time dropping
/ II This carbine) upon the ground. With
tho rapidity OF ightninp tina hlack anaka
attacked the professor, and 6ouinYeheed
winding his shiny coils around his leKS
and body tighter and tighter at every coil
of his loathesome form. until The professor
wns unable to move foot. HE efforts 10
extricate himself from the "coils Of DEATH
as they seemed to him--were unavailingfor
with every effort the folds frightened and the
work of respiration became difficult Death
and the snake stared him in the face, and
lKa.. 1n IL Il Il
creep over his body II was ieaffui
moment Of the most intense horror and
agony, that made the flesh creep, the blood
chill, and the hair literally to "s,and on
end like quilts upon fretful poroupinei"
Nothing but his great presence of mind
saved him from strangulaton aud a loathe:
some death. Recolleoting that bis hunting
knife hung by his side, he seized il, aud
with his nerves braoed by despair, drew it
across the body of the snake, severing u
at stroke. The coils relaxed, the snkke
dropped dead at his feet, and the professor
was free again. By this time he heard q
great rustling In the bushes and the dry
bark cracking in every direction, accom-
panied by loud, shriii, angry Kisses and
whistlng, as If the whole surrounding
woods were filed with snakes.
Deeming discretion the better part %
valor he hastily grabbed up his carbine.
grthed his hunting knife, and beat a pres
cipitate retreat. The professor was puf-
sued by the black snakes for some dis
tance, but being in a hurry, he had no time
TO look back and count their numbers. He
says that had they come one at time be
would not have retreated, but to attack him
by companies, brigades and divisions, was
enough to frighten any man.
We have endea vored to give the facts
as narrated by the professor himself. Mr..
Mitchell is well known in this community;
aud we have no reason to believe the facta
have been exaggerated. We have since
been informed that this speoios Of snake
is very plenty in the mountains, aud have
frequently been known to attack persona
WHO intrude in their dens.