Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1874-06-04

the whole cradle had my gun beer
charged with shot I should have fred
80 as to have disabled some parts of it.
body but with only single bullet, ]
felt that the head must be the part at
tucked when opportunity offered.
Glide, glide, glide, one coil owe,
untying its knotted body, while no!
the head slowly rose from where it had
been lying, and crept nearer and neare,
to the chi1d's face, tho forked tongue
darting in and out, and playing rapidly
on either side of it's hideous mouth. ]
could see the glance of the snakes eyes,
and expected every moment to hear the
little one shrek in terror a. the lowered
head rested over her breast. But no,
the child lay perfectly still for q few
moments, and then I stood trembling
in every limb as I saw tho snakes head
drawn back, and then begin to sway tc
and fro, and from side to side. the
glistening neck of the beast gently un.
dulating, whilst the tongue stiil darted
in and out Of the dreadful looking
mouth.
Now was the time when I should
have fred, but I was too unnerved
and laying down my gun, seized my
hoe, meaning to attack the beast with
its stout handle; but my hand fell par.
alyzed at my side as I saw the little one
in the cradle smile and laugh atthe gen.
tly undulating head of the snake
while, as the agony grew to be greater
than 1 could bear, in seeing the little
white hands try to catch at it as il
swayed to and fro, my powers seemed
to come back. I snatched up the gun,
and as the snakes head was drawn back
preparatory to striking, I pulled the
trigger, when the sharp crack of the
percussion cap alonefollowed- perhaps
providentially, for in my trembling
state I might have injured tho child.
Then I saw rapid wreathing of the
coils in the cradle, and as the tail ol
the snake glided over the side, every
thing around me seemed to swim, and
I tried to catch at the wall of the hut
to save myself from falling.
But that soon went of, and gazing in
at the window, l tried to make out the
whereabouts OF my. enemy, as I re-
capped and tapped the gan, 90 that tht
powder might run up the nipple.
The snake was nowhere to be seen
and darting in I seized the child, ant
carried it out to it's mother, when, nov
feeling relieved Of one horrible calam
ity, I obtained my shot-pouch from tn,
kitchen, rammed down q charge upo1
the bullet, and cautiously went il
search of the reptile.
1knew he must still be in the part o.
the hut we used for sleeping place
and after cautiously peering about,
came to the hole where it had takel
refuge opening between the rough
ly-sawn planks laid loosely down t.
form q floor while, unless there wa
an outlet beneath the woodwork, I fel
that the beast must be there and t,
make it more probable, there was ou
cat that we had bought kitten in Sgd
ney, gazing with staring eyes down a
the hole.
just then I heard q soft rustling be
meath my feet, and as looked down,
could see between the two boards th,
scaly body gliding along. The mex
the gun, the place was full of smoke
there was scuff1ing noise, and as
looked down between the boards wher'
the charge had forced . passag
through, there was no sign of the snake
"Harry, Harry" shrieked my wife
just then, and on rushing out, Their
was the beast writhing about in tn
path, evidently badly wounded, whil'
some crushed down flowers by the hu
wall showed plainly the hole of com
munication. I never saw q snak'
writhe and twist as that creature did
but I was too excited then to fee
afraid, and few blows from the butt
end of my gun laid it so that there wa
only little movement left in its body
which did not stop for an hour or tw,
after l had cut Off its head with an axe
I should have liked to skin the beast
but I could not master my horror.
measured it though; fourteen fee
three inches long it was, and as thic]
as my arm ; while as to its weight,
saw the cradle rock to and fro heavil,
as it glided over the side.
Snakes are scarce now in these parts
for there isn't man in Queenslan,
that docs not wage war against them
and where there was one settler then
there are scores now.