Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-04-07

cautiously about him on either
| side, and said: $50, them's Iniuns,
hey? Well, must say they're the
ugliest and dirtiest set of beings l ever
saw. L don't like them, an tell ye,
/ Mister Charles, if you hadn't been along
with me I'd been afeared o my life, an
I don't think I'll ever go see them again.
l seen that chap with the chicken, an
snre it was just as you said, he pulled
the feathers off by the handful, and
without ever cuttin' it open, just held it
over the fire ON a long stick, an when
it began to fry little ON one side, he
turned it round an fried it on tother
side, an then began eatin' it. Sure,
but it made me sick to look at him.
Troth, believe he'd ate man as quick
as he would a chicken"
Dan gave vent to his disgust of the
whole race of red men, and was sorry he
was not thousand miles away from
them, and he chatted away until we
reached the end of the woods and
emerged on to the prairie.
"Can fellow get a drink of water
about here ?" said he.
Yes," said /, "thcre is a spring
under that oak tree over there to our
left. L often stop there on my way to
and from the lake."
We turned off to the left, and crossing
a marshy place of about hundred yards
in width, came to the tree where there
was beautiful spring bubbling up from
the ground. the waters of which formed
themselves into a small pond in a low
place few yards beyond. This was
favorite resort for the cattle that grazed
on the prairie, and they had cropped the
grass very close around the spring. I
laid down my gun, and We each took a
drink of the cool and refreshing water.
"Let's stop here bit," said Dan.
"Its beautiful place, and we'll rest
ourselves awhile. Ny, my, but this
minds me of a place at home" and Dan
threw himself down at full length on the
soft grass.
eff that pile of white clouds away off
there was only mountain, it would look
for all the world like a place on the
Shannon. Many's the time I've laid
down and looked up on that high old
mountain, and wondered if ever there was
a place so grand and beautiful, and then /
would turn and look at the river o flow
in along so peaceful in the bright sun
shine. And the last time l was there it
was the day before [ was to start for
America, an said to myself, well, I
might see places that people would say
was prettier nor this, but to my eye
there is no place so handsome as my old
home in Ireland"
Poor Dan, how he loved his dear old
Ireland, and how much more 1 thought
of him for that very reason, for if q man
does not love his country and his home,
no matter how humble OF uninviting it
may may be to a stranger, there is not
much room in his heart to love anything
else.
After chatting away for some time, we
both fell asleep, and when awoke felt
as though something had touched my
leg, and, looking around, | perceived Il
huge moccasin snake crawling off toward
my gun, which it reached, and perched
itself upon the stock, which was lying
flat upon the grass A cold sensation
came over me felt as though the mon
ster had crawled over me, which, no
doubt, it had, as [ lay asleep. 1 looked
around for a stick, but, of course, when
| y
none to be had. The snake had by this
time settled himself very comfortably on
the gun stock, and was apparently
asleep, with his head resting upon the
coils of his body. [ didn't stop long to
look at him, as there was nothing very
handsome OF attractive in his appearance
but drawing my revolver, sent bullet
at him which cut through three folds of
his ugly carcass, and caused him to rear
his head about six inches and make an
ugly strike, but his wrath and venom
were spent upon the air, and he fell upon
the grass. l seized my gun as quickly
as | could, and bringing down the butt
} upon his head dispatched him. All this
was the work of few seconds, when,
hearing Dams voice inquiring What
! the matter p
turned toward him, and to my hor-
ror saw huge mOccasin not six inches
from his leg, and apparently asleep
Don't move, Dan," said I. At the
same time, cooking my gun, brought it
up, and before it touched my shoulder I
hot the snake into pieces, when Dan
jumped up, rubbing his shins and
shouting: "Be me sowl, you've shot
me 1 feel the blood"
A few pellets of shot had stung his
leg; but when pointed to the torn body
of the snake, the poor fellow was fright
: ened nearly out of his wits.
.. "Was that feller on me Bcgorra,
thought 1 felt something"
"Let go my arm, Dan; there's an
other" said I, and I shot him, and, re-
loading quickly, it was not two minutes
before L killed another. The place was
literally alive with them.
"What shall we do?" said Dan, his
hair fairly standing on end with terror.
"Get out of this as quickly as posi-.
ble," said I. "Come, follow me, and
: make as much noise as you like, for
expect that piece of low ground that We
: have to pass through is full of them, and
I maybe you can frightem them off. "
Dan needed no second invitation. In
u u stead of following, however, he beat me
about twenty-five yards in our run across
y u the marsh; and when we reached Macs
= house, he swore by all the saints that he
u would not live in that country another
: month for o mint of money.
!. When I told Mac where we had been
= MS Ihce Jurneu silaue or Two paler, an(
. he said: 81 wouldn't go to that spring
u this time of year for hundred dollars
Ben Kerr and [ burned off that marsl
!; two seasons ago, and we killed will
u sticks fifty-six moccasins, and don
Il know how many were burned up"
= And used to stop there for drink o
J water every time I went over to the lake
. 1t is needless to say that was my las
= visit to the beautiful spring. .-Phila
:, - delphia Sunday Mercury.
sl