The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-12-09

meflulls spring, lie Stafttla.oHV
speed of u locomotive. His first jumn
took the snake clear from the ground
and as John stole hasty glance over
iis shoulders, he was horrified 10 find
the reptile securely fastened to the ex-
tremity of his garment; while the speed
with which he rushed forward kept the
serpent extended at an angle of ninety
degrees with his body.
Here was quandary. If he stopped
the snake would coil about his bStly
and squeeze him to death; If he cob
tinued the race he'd soon fall from ahees
exhaustion. On he flew, scarcely dar-
ing to think how his dreadful race
would end. Instinctively he had ta-
ken the direction of home, when a
feeling of security came over him.
Suddenly flashed across his mind the
| true state of the affairs-his father
| gone-the quilting, and worst of all,
/ the girls This new horror sent the
blood back curdliDg about his neck, and
he came to dead halt. The next mo-
ment he felt the body of the cold, clam
my monster I'm contact with his bare
legs, his tail creeping around them i'm
sort of an OOzing way, as though his
snakeship only medltated little fun,
by way of tickling John upon the
knees.
This Was too much for human endu-
rance. With yell, such Us a man
never utters save when In mortal ter
rOr, poor John again set foru ard at
break-neck pace, and once more had
the pleasure Of seeing the snake resume
his horizontal position, somewhat after
the fashion OF comet.
On he flew! John forgot the quilt
ing, forgot the girls, forgot everything
but the snake.
His active exercise The paid particu-
lar attention to his running,) together
with the excessive heat, had brought
on the nose bleed, and as he ran, ears
erect and head thrown back, his chin,
throat and shirt bosom were stained
with the flowing stream.
His first wild shrek had startled the
quilters, and forth they rushed, won-
dering il some mad Indian was prowI-
ing about. By this time John was
within lie n rods of the barn, still rum
ming at the top of his speed, his head
turned so that he could keep one eye ON
the snake, and with the other Obeerve
ly barn concealed him from the sight
of the girls. He knew that they were
in the yard, having caught a glimpse
of them as they rushed from the house.
A few more bounds and be wOud he i'm |
their midst. For a a,mOment mOdesty !
overcame fear, and lie once more halt
ed. The snake, evidently pleased with
his rapid transportation, manifested
his gratitude by attempting to enfold !
the legs of our hero within his embrace. |
With an explosive .'ouch," and urged !
forward by circumstances over which |!
he had DO control" poor John bound /,
ed on. The next moment he was i'm |
full view of the girls, and as he turned |
the corner of the barn, the suake came
round with wlliz something after thes
fashion of coach whip.
Having reached the barI-yard, tV his /
dismay he found the bars up; but time |
was too precious 10 be wasted ia let /
ting down bars. Gathering all HIS
strength, he bounded into the air.
snake ditto as he alighted on the |
other side, his snakeship's tall cracked
across the upper bar, swapping like ah
Indian cracker.
Again John set forward, now utter
ly regardless of the presence of the girls,
for the extra tick of the snakes tail n
he leaped the bars, banished all his
basblulness and modesty, anu again
he had the pleasure of finding the
snake in a straight line, drawing stead
lily at the hem of his solitary garment.
The house how became the center of
and around it he revolvedl
with the speed Of thought. Four times
in each revolution as he turned the
corner, his snakeship came around With
a wbiz which was quite refreshing.
While describing the third circle, rs
he came near the grOupof vondefstruck
girls, without removing his gaze from
the snake, he Ii anaged to cry cat
"CALL A MANw
The next moment he whisked out of
sight, and, rs quick as thought, reap
peared on the other side Of The house:
"cALL A MANI
And away he whiHed again, turn
ing the corner so rapidly that the whiz
of the Stake sounded halfway between
a Whistle and the repeated lNOnuncia,-
ton of double-e. NJ ~
- 3 "eALL t MAac II
:. Away he few but his slre1zth was
fapFffy failing. Nancy Clark was the
first to recover her presence of mind,
and seizing a hoep-pdie, she took her
station near the corner or the .,ouse.
and a. John resppeared, she brought II
down npon tie snake with force that
broke his back and his hold upon Johns
neither aarmentAt the same time.
Iolaya rrsahQ<33 iufO tho bnuS<, on.l A.
his room, bdAt tea-time appeared in
his best Sunday suit, butt littkfi,e worse
for the raeefand to alRaplIsarance cur
ell of baskhlness. That night he walk
ed homefith Nancy CLARK. The New
Year, tbey were sDiarried, and now,
when John feeiA Inclined to laugh at
his wife's hpep, or sfiy other pecuiiari-
ty, she besonlyto say, "Calf man."