The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-06-24

ThrilIing Encounter with n Den of
aIaeh SNAKES In south Mountain,

InEtIlInE encounter Win n Den OF
Blaek snakes TN south Mountain.
Maryland. Tf1 sTGIs
The Boonsboro' odd F'elIoIS relates
the following adventure OF Professor j..
Mitchell. Of that town:
Professor j. Mitchell, the celebrated
South Mountain Wizard while out
cunning last Friday had most thrill
ling adventure with den of black
snakes, known as Racers from which
he narrowly escaped with his life. Asis
his habit, the Professor had taken his
favorite carbine and gone into ithe
mountain after squirrels. Best part of
the forenoon had been spent1 in beating
through the. brush and over the rocks
without meeting with any adventure,
and but ordinary success in procuring
game, &c. Suddenly, however, he came
TO a ledge of rocks about a mile from
the South Mountain House. Stopping
moment TO take survey of the sur
roundings, he saw a large black snake
stretched out on a rock summing him
self He at once took up a couple of
stones and threw one at his snakeship,
but unfortunately missed him. This
aroused the snake, and in an in
slant he uncoiled himself and stood
with his head erect, as II indignant at
this intruslon-and at the same time
gave "a loud, shrill hiss, or, rather, n
whistle The Professor delivered his
second stone with such precision as to
mortally wound his enemy. No SOON
er, however, had he thrown the stone
when he heard fearful rustling among
the brush to his left, and another whis-
tie louder and shriller than the first.
Turning his eye In the direction from
whence camethe noise, he saw a mon-
strous black snake Ia racer) coming di-
rectly toward him, with his head erect.
ed about five feet from the ground, and
his forked tongue darting from his dis
tended jaws as II bent on fight. The
Professor (who Is an acknowledged
crack shot) Immediately raised his car
blne, fired, and had the proud satisiac.
tion OF seeing the monster snake roll
over in the aRonies of death-havIng
split his head open with the ball. This
proved but the commencement of the
battle; for before the Professor had time
to congratulate himself upon his sue
cess in Vanquishing two of his foes, a
third one, measuring about eleven feet
in length, and thick in proportion, had
approached TO within a lew feet of him
his head erect-hisslng, and dart
ing his tongue outin manner to ap-
pal the stoutest heart. To retreat was
out of the question; fight was the only
alternative, tandi quick as thought he
levelled his carbine ut the snakes head,
but, unfortunately, missed IL, at the
saiGe time dropping it (hls carbine)
upon the ground. With the rapidity
OF lightning the black snake attacked
the Professor, and commenced winding
his Shiny coils around his legs and
body tighter and tighter at every coil
of his loathsome form, until the Pro-
feSsor was unable to move foot. His
efforts to eXtricate himself from the
"coils OF death"-as they seemed to
him-Were unavailing, for with every
L.,
of respiration became difficult. Death
and the snake stared him in the face,
and made the cold chills OF horror and
agony creep over his bodyl 1t was "A
fearful moment-R moment of the most
intense horror and agony, that made
the flesh creep, the blood chill, and the
hair literally to stand on end like quilts
upon a fretful porcupiuep Nothing but
his great presence of mind saved him
from strangulation and a loathsome
death. Recollecting that his hunting
knife hung by his side, he seized il,
and with his nerves braced by despair,
drew it across the body of the snake,
severing 1t at a stroke. The coils
relaxed, the snake dropped dead at his
feet, and the Professor was free again.
By this time he heard great rusLling
in the bushes and the dry bark crack
ing in every direction, accompanied by
loud, shrill, angry Misses and whlstling
as itthe whole surrounding WOODS were
filled with snakes. sra
"Deeming discretion the better part of
valor, he hastily grabbed up his car
bine, girthed his hunting knife, and
beat precipitate retreat. The Profess
sor was pursued by the black snakes
for some distance, but being in a hurry,
he had no time TO look back and count
the numbers, he says that bad they
come one at n time he would not have
retreated; but to attack him by com.
panies, brigades, and divisions, was
enough to Tighten any man.
ave have endeavored to give the
fncts asinarrated by the Professor him
self. Mr.. Mitchell IS well knownin
this community, and we have no rea-
son to believe the facts have been exag-
gerated. We have since been informed
that this species of snake is very plenty
in the mountains, and have frequently
been known to attack persons who in
trude In their dens."