The Portland daily press., 1870-08-02
Death struggle with a sunke.
A YOUNG MAN ATTACKS A RATTLEsNAKE-
BOTH ARE KILLED IN FIGHT.

A correspondent of Southern newspaper
writes:
Last Saturday morning was the witness of
| such scene as L pray God may never see
again. beheld combat between Young
man and rattlesnake, in which the former
was bitten, and died in ten minutes thereaf.
| Ter: The particulars Of the terrible affair are
as follows:
On Friday last a young man named Grav-
nor asked me to spend the night with him
ana go coon-hunting with him the next morn
| ing, TO which request readily assented. We
started out about three o'clock A. M. and near
| day the dogs opened on a trail in the swami
OF Bear Creek. Just after sunrise the deem
paying OF the dogs informed us that the game
bad taken tree. We proceeded to make orr
way through the boes and tangled brush and
vines in the direction OF the dogs. until we
came to small space of firm ground. which
was covered with low growth OF oak bushes.
Here We halted moment to listen for the
dogs. WIZ
we had scarcely paused, when we were
startled by loud, strange, rafting sound is
suing from beneath low, thick bush, within
lew feet OF us. Though had never bea,1,
the peculiar noise before, knew instinct W.
that it was rattlesnake; and sprsng ton{
IN terror. remarking:
What, s." SAID he, "are yousfraid p,
Yes" said l, II am afraid"
well" he coolly remarked, 81 am going 10
XIII the snake; it would be a pity to leave
such fine fellow here. So here eoes.D
While Graynor was speaking, 1 caught n
glimpse OF the snake, which, as nearly as
could Judge, appeared to be about eight feet in
length, and three inches in diameter IN his
larger part. He was lying coed up in ner-
feet circle, with his head drawn back in a ter-
ribly graceful curve, his small ewes SPARKLING
his slender forked tongue darting swiftly back
and forth, and his brown neck swollen with
fatal wrath, while ever and anon he twirIed
the warning rattles in the air, with a harsh
blood-curdliDg sound.
For Coos sake, let's go, said /, shuddering
at the terrible sight.
Don't get scared" said Graynor; lust
climb tree, and he won't bite you. 1t aint
every day that fellow meets with such a fine
him." W 'o''
lie had picked up a small stick about a
yard long, and while speaking was drawing
back the bushes from above the snake SO as
to get sight of him. He threw bis foot
around over the bushes, and tramped them
down In such manner that the mons er was
fairly exposed to. view; but just as he did so.
ana before he had time to strike, the snake
"'"NS " oauuOh oPiill9 1T ult1, and Il turned
my face away in horror. The next Instant
Graynor exclaimed, "Pve got him, by Georoe.N
turned to look, and with his right hand
be was grasping the snake by the neck i'm
such manner that he could not bite. while
the monster was gnashing his teeth most u-
rlously, and twisting and writhing his huge
folds around GraynOr's arms. All of a sud-
den, IN some unaccountable manner, the
snake freed his head, and quick as lightning
plunged mis- deadly fangs into GraynoI's richt
cneek; when, dropping on the ground, he
gllded a few PAGES and again coiled himself
up, keeping his head erect and ringing his
fearful rattles. Graynor turned deadly pale.
paused moment, and then with a little stick
advanced towards the snake. As he did so,
the snake male spring at him, but Graynor
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
81. stieS; put before he could strike third blow
Lne snake had made another spring and IN
Ilcted another wound in Graynors arm.
ms time Graynor again managed to seize
the monster by the neck; and droppipa the
stick, he drew forth his knife with ote hand.
opened it with his teeth, and .hen deliberate,
~ cut OIL the snakes head. Blood spirited
from the trunk, and Graynor, still oraspiDg
the snake, whose huge folds tapped and
wrlthed around him, turned towards me. STAG
gered and fell. L rushed up to him and asked
him:
what In the name of God, can I do for
you?" wv '''
Nothing" said he, calmly. 81 am diving.
Tell them, good" and his features became
frightfully contorted, his eyes rolled over as if
starting from their sockets, and his black
swollen tongue protruded from his mouth.
Then he fixed bis red, wild. staring eyes up
on me, and heaved deep, piercing groan a
shiver passed over his frame, and then all was
still. l was alone with the dead.
Marking the place as well as | could, has
tened to house we had passed on the road,
some bali mile distant from the fatal trage-
dy. runners were sent through the neigh
borhood, and in the course of two hours, some
twenty OF the neiehbors had gathered. We
proceeded to the place, which | found no diff
ficulty in pointing out.
Coed beavensl what sight met our view.
The face and body had turned to deep purple,
and were swollen TO three times the natural
size, presenting the most horrible appearance
had ever witnessed. The snake Law where
he had been thrown, and was still writhing.
A litter of bou2hs was hastily constructed,
and, with heavy hearts, we took our way to
the residence of his parents. will not at
tempt to describe the heart-rendIng scene
when they saw the body. Grief like theirs
cannot be portrayed.