The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-04-21
[For the News.
SNAKES-A TRUE STORY.
HIGHLAND HOME, March, 1870.

HIGHLAND HOME, March, 1870.
The title of this article may inspire
ugly feelings, and insidious, sneaking
fancies, in those who read it, but if
such emotions and imaginations ex-
ceed in strength and vividness those
of the writer while penuing it, then it
is pity that it should be brought be-
fore them.
The prediction in Genesis does seem
to have literal, as well as spiritual
fulIflIment, as seen in the sentiments
of disgust and enmity which are felt
at sight of these reptiles. Most per-
sons learn to fear or hate them, and
run from or kill them; and it is this
which turns the stomach of decent
people, when snake-tamers wreathe
the ugly animals around their necks,
suffer them to kiss their lips, or put
them in their mouths. Yesterday,
while out in the fields, saw one for
the first time this season. ItIay bask-
ing in the sun, but as 1 accidentally
stepped near, it hissed and drew back
its head, opened its mouth, aud dart
ed out its tongue. 1 thought, "What
a lively picture of perSonified envy,
or of the historic incarnation of Satan
himseln" It didn't live long. Per-
haps, though, it is wrong to kill them;
please tell me.
But this is not what 1 meant to write.
If your readers have not already been
too sadly gulIed with Snake stories,
I beg leave to provide one in which I
was an actor, and therefore can vouch
for its authenticity.
The scene lies in a wood near the
village of Feesburg, in our neighbor
county, Brown; time, about August
of '64. Ny father and went out to
the wood, or deadening in a buggy, to
find timber for the sills of a tobacco
barn. When we arrived at the place,
he left me in the buggy, while he took
his ak and went off short distance
to look for a tree. We had stopped
between two large oaks, at the edge of
the deadening in which we were to
get the timber. To the left a few
steps, was thicket of briars and other
bushes; in front, a large grapevine
clung to some green trees; the shade
of the oaks was very deep, and down
the slight hollow which ran into the
deadening, and in which the buggy
stood, the grass had grown thick and
long among the fallen logs, upturned
roots, and low bushes, and now, parch-
ed and dried by the hot summers
sun, had partially fallen and matted
the ground. The air was hot, and so
hazy that the sun shone with a kind
of weird, red light, which made that
already wild spot seem far more so.
As sat in rather Iistless mood, a
singular oppressive sensation came
over me-a kind of fear, or present.
ment of something terrible near at
hand. My thoughts began to fly at a
rapid rate, and they ran to the tune
of "Snakes; Shiny, sickening, poison
Gus, crawling snakes ~ A peculiar
awful influence seemed to pervade
the very air, and imagination almost
pictured snakes crawling among the
bushes at the left, among the tall grass
down the hollow, or hanging to the
tWining vine before me. Suddenly 1
heard from the deadening, in tones ofI
.iutensest fear, "OH-oIgh-oo- 90 900 : p"
and though agony thrilled through
every cry, knew the voice of my
father. I sprang from the buggy,
and guided by the unearthIy cries,
ran with all my speed to the scene of
distress. This was only another chord
in the tune Ofmy thoughts, and as I
ran 1 instinctively jerked out my
knife and opened it, thinking all the
time, "snakes !" When 1 got in sight
of my father, he was jumping, dancing,
running, and writhing about at a ter
rife rate-now slapping and snatch
ing at his legs, and then seizing his
ak and making motions as though .
trying to cut himself. ! still imag- |
inc 1 can see him as I did then, and
sometimes laugh fit to explode, at his
capers, which would have shamed any
monkey, dance before my fancy
He, too, often joins in the laugh when
we recall the scene. But you will
readily believe it was solemn mo
ment with us hen-a terrible reality. |
When near enough, I cried, "what is
the matter?" Looking at me with a
face so contorted with agony that
hardly knew it, he huskliy answered,
"a big 6yack-snake g' "Where ?"
" Why, up nay pants !' When I reach
ed him he had sat down on log with
the body of the snake under him, with
its neck and head lying over his left
thigh, while, grasping its head in a
fold of his pants, he was squeezing it
most numerically. Thinking he had
it almost killed, he loosed his grasp to
get a new one, but as he did so the
snake suddenly slipped its head away,
and commenced writhing under him
40 fnarfIIIIv that bo SDranor from hisI