Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-08-18

| curve, small eyes sparkling, his slender
forked tongue darting swiftly back and
| forth, and his brown neck swollen with
fatal wrath, while ever and anon he
twirled the warning rattles in the air
with harsh, blood-curdling sound.
| ssFor Gods sake, let's go,' said L, shud'
dering at the terrible sight. -4
s.Don't be scared" said g.; 'just climb
a tree and he won't bite you. 1t amt ev'
cry day that fellow meets with such a
fine, large snake as THE, and it wouldn't
do to lose him."
He had picked up small stick about a
yard long, and while speaking, was draw
| ing aside the bushes from above the snake
SO as to get sight of him. He threw his
foot around over the bushes and tramped
them down in such manner that the
monster was fairly exposed to view; but
| lust as he did 80, and before he had time
to strike, the snake made a sudden spring
at him, and I turned away my race In
horror. The next instant Graynor ex-
claimed, 'Tve got him, by George ]!
l I turned to look, and with his right
hand he was grasping the snake by the
neck in such manner that he could not
bite while the monster was gnashiDg his
| teeth most furiously, and twisting and
| writhing in hue folds around Graynor,s
arms. All of sudden, in some unae-
countable manner, the snake freed his
head, and quick as lightning plunged his
deadly fangs into G's right cheek; when,
dropping on the ground, he glided few
PAGES and again coiled himself up, keep
| ing his head erect and ringing his fearful
rattles. G.. turned deathly pale, paused
a moment, and then with a little stick
/ advanced toward the snake. AS he did
so the snake made q spring at him, but
| G.. struck him with the stick and knocked
him back. A second time the snake
sprang at him, and he again knocked
him off with a stick; but before he
could strike third blow the snake
had made another spring and inflicted
another wound in Graynor's arm
This time Graynor again managed to
seize the monster by the neck; and, drop
ping the stick, be drew forth his knife
with one hand, opened it with his teeth
aed then deliberately cut off the snakes
head. Blood spurted from the trunk, and
G., still graspiug the snake, whose huge
fol"s 1apped and writhed around him
| turned towards me, staggered and fell.
| rushed up to him and asked him:
"What in the name of God can do fol
you? ?"
Nothing" said he calmly, I am dying
Tell them good" and his features be-
came frightfully consorted, his eyes rolled
over as if starting from their sockets, and
his black swollen tongue protruded from
mis- mouth. Then he fixed his red, wild
staring eyes upon me, and heaved a deep
| piercing groan a shiver passed over hi
| trame, and then all was still. | was alone
with the dead.
Marking the place as well as 1 could,
fastened to a house we had passed on the
road, some half mile distant from the
fatal tragedy. Runners were sent through
the neighborhood, and in the course @
TWO hours, some twenty of the neighbour
had gathered. We proceeded to tht
place, which / found no difficulty il
pointing out.
Good heavens what sight met ouI
view. The fsoe and body had turned tC
deep purple, and were swollen to three
times the natural size, presenting the
.l,Ust norr1ole appearance L had ever VII
messed. The snake lay where he had
been thrown, and still writhing.
A litter of boughs was hastily con
! OF, ..ot~a, t----y A---~-- - 4ooL
our way to the residence of his parents.
will not attempt to describe the heart
rending scene, when they saw the body
| Grief like theirs cannot be portrayed.