American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-09-12
A Vision OF Snakes.

WAS wandering in a valley, the light
of which was peculiar: neither of night
nor day, but green gloom through which
one saw objects as through green water.
And, as l wandered, l saw serpents dang
ling from the trees, writhing through the
grass, burrowing in the ground, floating
on the Swallowed ponds, or darling with
wavy motion across the scanty patches
of sad glimmer made by the rare sun
beams that had filtered through the dense
canopying foliage; and, as l glanced
down a glade which sloped to a sea ly
ing sullen beneath sultry, clouded sky,
huge sea-snake raised its horrid head
above the leaden waters. l trod on ser
pents' eggs, from which, the instant they
were crushed, fanged, Kissing jaws pro-
truded, and 1.-THE, scaly forms squirmed
forth The dusk was studded with
treacherous eyes; the forest was roped
with Shiny, swelling and collapsing, varie-
gated coils; distinctly even in its stag
nant atmosphere could be detected the
strange odor of the valleys sovereign
tenants. l saw plumed warrior steal
up to one that slumbered in the grass
He forked it to tine ground, slew, cooked
and ate it; and put its skin upon his bow
to insure the right flight of his arrow
Then he went forth to hunt the deer that
at times might be seen gliding through
the jungle, as if they feared to rustic its
heritage; their beautiful eyes glancing in
dread at the hideous eyes fiercely or
stonily fixed upon them.
He stalked stag until he was within
bow-shot of the splendid creature that
stood at gaze with back-thrown, many
tined antlers upon a little mound. just
as the hunter put forth his foot to draw
the string he heard hiss and rattle.
The snake that he had slain was avenged.
One of its fellows had struck the slayer.
His dusky face turned pale. Hastily he
bound his leg tightly above and below the
wound, and, sitting down, sucked at 1t like
child at its mothers breast.But it seemed
as if he were going to sleep like the
babe. He staggered up in alarm, gashed
at his wound with his knife, and then
tottered as fast as he was able back to
his fire-passing on his way hundreds of
the black marked dealers of death, with
their devilish eyes and rattle-tails-coiled
up like % fiemished" lines, or stretched
out stiff as sticks-sluggishly enjoying
the hot, sluggish air. He bored a fire
stick into his wound, and once more
Uttered on. But his steps grew feebler
and feebler. Again and again he put his
flask to his lips. The fire-water that
would have maddened him another time
had no effect upon him now. Drowsily
nodding, he fell to the ground, breathed
heavily, and went off into the sleep from
which there is no waking.
But / heard noise of stunning,
humping and piping on musical 1nstru-
ments, and following the sound, came to
an opening in which stood a village in the
midst of bamboos and palms. The in
habitants were dark, but of different
type of countenance from that of the red
skinned hunter. l wondered that any
people could have fixed their dwelling
place in the midst of such a valley of the
shadow of death, but what / saw soon
made me marvel more.
The music having ceased for a while, a
magician spread northumberland
garment upon the ground before cot
tage-wall, uttered words of incarnation,
and ordered all snakes within to come
forth. They wriggled forth in swarm,
and were put into bags by the chief
magician's attendants. On this side and
on that of the houses he repeated the
charm, and it was everywhere Obeyed.
Once, however, he smote impatiently
upon the ground with his staff, and the
under-wizards recommended their monot-
onous music, while he lighted fire. He
had missed one stubborn snake, which
had refused to obey his will.
When the fire had burned up, the
snake charmer again waved his wand and
recited still stronger words of magic
Instantly a huge serpent rolled forth
from its hiding-place. and, gliding into
the fire, was there consumed
The charmers killed some of their
prisoners, and laid them on the ant-hills,
for the ants to pick their bones. Some
the wizards swallowed; others they
placed alive in their bosoms and allowed
them to crawl all over their bodies xt
to the naked skin They fOndled them
and put them to their lips; they suffered
them to drink out of their capturers'
bowl, and struck them smartly on the
head if they drank too eagerly. They
piped to them and they danced. They
made them come and go like dogs.
They coiled the biggest round and round
their necks, and limbs, and bodies in
LAGOON folds. They forced the snakes
to bite them, and healed the wounds
with a touch and word, and the dwellers
in the village wondered more and more,
and rejoiced greatly that such potent
champions against the fatal foes who be
leaguered them had visited their settle
ment. Suddenly the chief magician
seized a hooded snake gliding noiselessly
upon the ground. 1t was one that had
not come under the influence of his
spells, having just writhed in from the
encircling wood. Instantly it rose in
wrath, its neck pulled out like bladder
with its savage passion. Out came it:
forked tongue, its curved fangs fastened
on the charmer's arm, and ere long M
was "a corpse, the conqueror gliding bacl
into the forest in triumph, and his com
rades that had been watching from til,
trees raised hiss of exultation, whicl
made the villagers blood run cold.
When left the village the under-wiz
ards were raising their dreary funera
wall In one of the garden-plats in tn
outskirts an innocent-lookIngl little raj
bit, which had come to help itself to tn