Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-04-07
Dan and the MocCasin Snakes

Dan Clary was brother of Mrs. Mac
laughlin's, aud took up his residence
with that lady and her husband. Dan
was fine, hearty, stout young fellow,
of about twenty years of age brave as
lion to face danger, but terribly afraid
Of snakes and Indians. OF the latter he
had read so much that he was some
time making up his mind to leave his
dear old "Green Isle of the Sea " to
come out to this wild country, especially
as Mrs. Mac. had casually mentioned in
some of her letters that there were In
dians in the neighborbood where she
lived, and that they sometimes paid visits
to her house. Dan looked on the whole
fraternity of red men as barbarous saw
ages, always spoke of them as Bloody
Iniuns, and shall never forget the day
when [ took him over to the encampment
on Buffalo lake and introduced him to
the tribe.
1t was about month after his arrival,
in the latter part of August, that [
stopped at Macs one morning and asked
Dan to go over to the lake with me and
catch some bass He assented at once,
and we started off together. I always
took my gun when [ went to the lake,
for | was sure to find some prairie chick
ems, and now and then L would shoot a
duck. Dan was in high spirits this
morning, and amused me with his Irish
wit. He was firm believer in banshees
and ghosts, and could tell more ghost
stories than his sister, and she was ahead
Of anybody [ had ever heard before. On
our way to the lake [ shot snake, and
us Dan had never seen one [ took it en-
a stick and let him have a good view Of
it, but the poor fellows nerves were 50
highly strung that his strong frame
shook as though he had the ague, and
[ dropped themonster, and we continued
on.
81 wouldn't handle that thing like
you did, sir, for mint o. money. Deed,
but I'm afeard of 'em-we have no such
things at home, and that was one of the
reasons of my not comm out to America
before, them and the bloody skelpin'
Iniuns. Will we see any of them chaps
to-day ?"
"We'n see some, no doubt" I replied;
but they won't hurt you visit them
often, and they know me-"
You don't go all alone by yourself,
do YEP"
Eyes; I've slept all night in one of
their wigwams.
''In what ?" said Dan.
"In wigwam."
"Howly Moses; an what's that :? I
hnorl - +ho 1i1ya XULo+',
call it-a wan what ?"
GA wigwam-an Indians house Of
hut"
"Well we'll But there's some
mighty quare things in America, but
never heerd house called wam-w wan.
No, that's not it, say it again."
GA wigwam," said L.
eyes, that's it-but I'm blest if [ car
say it. An did you sleep in one O. them
wan things, and was there no snakes
about"
eff there were, didn't see them"
How nigh were ye ever to one o
them moccasin snakes that me sister
talks so much about? My! but she's
Altered of them. [ believe it's the only
thing she is Altered Of.
"Well, [ was near enough to q moe
casin once, nearer than I ever wish to bt
again-I had my hand on him."
"Oh bloody murder, an he didn'
kill you-sure it was q meracle your life
was spared. Tell us about it, an Fl
kape lookout along as we go for feal
some O them might be followin' u.s."
About three weeks ago John and
were smoking our pipes one evening
about seven o'clock, and [ was leanin.
against a rickety old table that stood OF
the outside of his cabin, and upoI
which there were three boxes filled will
earth, and had geranium growing il
them; [ leaned pretty hard against tn
table, and it broke down and the boxe
fell over on the ground, and large moe
casin snake creDt out of one of them
and before we could reach him he 90
between the logs and into the house
just on the side where my bedstea
stood"
"Howly Father wasn't you scared
said Dan.
" / didn't like the idea of sleeping i
that room with the snake, SO John and
went into the house to hunt him out"
LOu NOulIlil " hbUClGu Ul6 Ill Utlt
house for the best farm in the State
Begorra, I'd a moved and left the snak
in full possession !" said Dan.
It was much darker in the hous
than it was out of doors, but ligf
enough to distinguish objects in til
room and upon the floor, and I VIZ
stopping down, looking under the be
for the snake-I was looking for som,
thing that / did not want to find"
| should think So" said Dan.
"There was lot of old trumpel
there, such as bandboxes, worn-out ha
ness, and old boots, and my attentic
was rather diverted from the snail
while moving these old. traps abou
when / saw strip of what / took to
rolled leather, and said to John: He
is frst-rate lash for your whip, at IL
same time drawing it out from under Il
bed; when to my surprise and horror,