The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-02-27
DAN. AND THE SNAKES.

with that lady and her husband. Dan. was
q fine, hearty, stout young fellow, OF
about twenty yeafs OF age, brave as n
lion to face danger, but terribly afraid
of snakes and Indians. or 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 casually mentioned In some OF
her letters that there were Indians in
the neighborhood where she lived, that
they sometimes paid visits to her house.
Dan. looked ON the whole fraternity of
red men as barbarOus savages, and al
ways spoke of them as "Bloody Injuns,"
and shall never forget the day | took
him over to the encampment on Buffalo
Lake and introduced him to the tribe.
1t was about a month after his arrival,
in the latter part OF August, that l
stopped at Macs one morning and asked
Dan. to 20 over to the lake with me and
catch some bass. He assented at once,
and we started of together, l always
took my gun when / went to the lake,
for was sure TO find some prairie chick
ems, and now and then 1 would shoot a
duck. Dan. was ia high spirits this
morning, and amused me with his Irish
wit. He was firm believer in ban
shees and ghosts, and could tell more
ghost stories than his sister, and she
went ahead OF everybody l had ever
heard before. On our way to the lake
shot snake, and as Dan. had never
seen one, took it up on stick to let
him have good view of IL; but the
poor fellows nerves were SO highly
strung that his strong frame shook as
though he had the ague, and | dropped
the monster, and we continued on.
| IL Wouldn't handle that thing like you
did, sir, for a mint y money. Deed, but
Pm a card 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 skelpln' Lie
ljuus. VIII we see amy Of the them chaRs
Jo-dayW
oven see some, no doubt" l replied; /;
shut they WOn'V hult YOU; visit them
often, and they know me-"
"You don't 30 all alone by yourself,
do yep
Yes; pve slept all night in one Of
| their WIgWams."
"lu whatY said Dan.
| "ln wigwam."
"uowly Moses an what's thet ye call
id wan WnatW
"a wlgwam-an Indian house or
nut"
| '"Well, well! But there's some mighty
quare things IN America, but l never
ueerd mouse called wam-wam. No,
mats not it, say IL again"
| "a wigwam," SAID l.
"Yes, thaP5 it-uuL Pm blest if | can
say 1T. An did you sleep in one O. them
wam things? am was there no snakes
about It?" %. '....
III there were didn't see them"
GLOW nigh were ye ever to one o.
them mOcuasin snakes that me sister
talks 50 mucn about? My! But she's
afeerd u them. believe it is the only
thing she is Altered OF, Ior she'd lace the
ldivlI himself"
"Well. l was near enough to a moe
casln once, nearer than | ever wish to
be again-l had my hand ON him." ..
"On! bloody murder! AM he didn't
kill you? sure il was miracle your
life was spared, Tell me about it, an,
l.pll keep a lookiH along as we 90. Tor
some " them might be follerip u.s.
"ADout turee weeks ago, John and l
were smoking our pipes one evening
about 7 O'Clock, and | was leaning
against a rickety old table that stood on
the outside OF mis- cabin, and upon when
there were three boxes filed with earth,
and had geranium growing in them. |
leaned pretty hal d against the table,
and it broke down and the boxes fell
over on The ground, ana large IN Jcca-
sin snake crept out of one of Chem, and
before we could reach him he got be-
tween the logs and into the house, Just
Oh the side where my Dedstead sJoUd."
'uoWly Fatherl wasn't you scared p
said Dan.
IL didn't like the idea of sleeping in
that room with the snake, SO Johu and |
went into the house to hunt MIN out"
You wouldn't o. ketcned me in that
house Tor the best IA IN in the State, Be-
gorra, ia a. moved and left the snake in
lull possessiouw said Dan,
"lt was much darker in the house
than it was out of doors, but ngnt
enough to distinguish objects in the
room and uyon the fl ,or. and | WAS
stooping down, looking under the he'd
for the snake-I was looking for some
thing that did not want to find,u
81 should think SO :" said Dan.
"rhere was IA lot OF old trumperv there
sucn as band-boxes, worn-out harness
Land old boots, and nv attention was
rather diverted from the snake whiIe
moving these old traps about. when |
saw a strip OF what | took To he rolled
leather. ana said TO Joun. Here il a
drst-rate lash for yuur wh1D. at the
same time drawing it from u1der tle
bed. wuen to my surprise and horror.
found that had tue snake-noldiug him
Inv me extreme end OF ms lallu