The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-04-19
Dan and the MoccaSin Snakes.

Dan Clary was s brother az Mrs Mac
lsughlin'S, and tuuA mp his residence
with that lady and her husband Dan
was fne, hearty, stout Young fellow,
OF about twenty Years oi age brave aS a
hon 20 face danger, bu. terribly alnld
~ snakes and Indians. OF the latter he
hsl resl So much that he WAS some
time making up his mind 20 leave his
dear old "Green Isle Of the Sea 70
come out - tins Wild country, especially
as Mrs.. Mac had casually mentioned H.
some Of her letters that there were In
dams in the n&ghborbood where she
lived. and that they sometimes paid vlS-ts
10 her house. Dan looked on the whole
fraternity Of rel men IS barbarous say
ages, slwayS spoke Ct them as Bloody
Iniuus, " and l shall never forget the lay
when / took him over 10 the eucampment
on BOfalo lake and introduced him 10
the tribe.
1t Was about a month after his arrival,
in the latter part ut August that l
stopped az Macs one morning ana asked
Dan to 40 ever 10 the lake with me and
catch some bass. He assentei NJ once,
and we started of together / always
took nv Cun when | went 10 the lake.
for was sure 20 lind some prairie chick
ems, and now and then l would shoot q
duck. Dan was IL high spirits tins
morning, and amused me with his Irish
wit. He was firm believer IN banshess
and ghosts, and could tell more ghost
stories than his sister. and she was ahead
Of anybody l had ever heard before. On
our way 10 the lake I shot a snake. and
rs Dan had never seen one I took il On
Q stick, and let him have 4 good view o.!
il. hut the poor fellows nerves were So
highly strung that his strong frame
shcuk as though lie had the ague, aud
l dropped the monster, and we continued
on
Il wouldn't handle that thing ike
you did, sir, for "a mint O. money Deed,
but I'm afeard Of 'em-ve have no such
things at home. and that was one ot the
reasons Of my not comm out 20 America
before, them and the bloody skelpin'
Injuns VIII we see any Of them chaps
to-day ?"
Wen see some, nodoubt, " Irepliei;
but they won't hurt You I visit them
often. and they know me.
You don't 90 all alone by yourself,
do ve?"
Yes; I've slept all night in one Of
their wigwams
In what ?" said Dan.
I'm a wigvam.
"Howly Moses; an what's that? 1
never heerd o tAe ike What's that We
call ia wan what?"
A wigwam-an Indians house or
hut"
"WeU,-weu But there's some
mighty quare things IN America, but l
never heerd house called wam-waIn
No, that's not il, SAY II again.
" A vigvam. said l.
Yes. that's it-5ut I'm blest If can
say it. An did v0u sleep in one o them
VAIN Things, and was there no snakes
about
IF there were. I didn't see them.
How nigh were We ever to one o.
them mocc.lsin snakes that me sister
talks 50 much about2 NY! but she's
aieerel Of them. believe it's the only
thing she is afeered Of.
"Well, / was near enough to a moe
casin once, nearer than 1 ever wish 10 be
again. had nv hand on him. "
"Oh bloody murder, an he didn't
kill yOu-sure It was q meracle your life
was spared. Tel us about il, an I'll
kape a lookout along as we 20 for fear
some o them might be followin' US.
"About three weeks ago John ana
were smoking our pipes one evening
about seven o'clock, and was leaning
against q ricketv old table that stood on
tke outside OF his cabin, and upon
which there were three boxes filed with
earth, and had a geranium growing in
them; leaned pretty hard against the
table, and it broke down and the boxes
fell over on the ground, and a large moe
casin snake creDt out of one Of them.
and before we could reach him he got
between the logs and into the house,
just on the side whore my bedstead
stood"
"Howly Father wasn't you scared ?"
said Dan.
Il didn't like the idea Of sleeping in
that room with the snake. so John and l
went into the house 10 hunt him out.
" You wouldn't o ketcbed me in that
house for the best farm in the State
Begorra, I'd a moved and left the snake
in full possession ~ said Dan.
'' 1t was much darker in the house
than it was out of doors, but light
enough 10 distinguish objects in the
room and upon the floor, and | was
stopping down, looking under the bed
for the snake-I was looking for some
thing that l did not want to find.
"I should think so, said Dan.
"There was lot of old trumpery
there, such as bandboxes, worn-out har-
ness, and old boots, and my attention
was rather diverted from the snake
while moving these old traps about,
when saw a strip of what / took to be
rolled leather. and said 10 John: Here
is first-rate lash for your whip, at the
same time drawing it out from under the
bed: when 10 my surprise and horror, !
found that I had the snake-holding him
by the extreme end Of his tail"
"Oh, murther :" said Dan, "an' didn't
he bite youl"
Gas raised him clear of the floor, he
seemed to be nearly three feet long, and
his ugly head was twisting In every di-
rection, so as to get chance to bite me.
I knew if 1 let go of him he would bite
me, and his bite was certain death, as
there wasn't doctor nearer than Fort
Winnebago- seventeen miles distant
and Just what to do / didn't know.
recollected that we used to catch water
snakes in the bitches down in the neck,
below the city, and giving quick snap
like the cracking of whip, we would
break their backs and thus render them
powerless This thought flashed through
my mind in an instant, and, although the
moccasin was much larger than any snake
I had ever snapped, yet, as something
must be done, and that quickly, re-
solved to try it. 1 lowered him SO that
his head nearly touched the floor, and
giving him a quick twist and a jerk,
could hear him crack like whip. A sick,
dizzy feeling came over me, and | reeled
end fell on the ebed; / had tainted When
] came to my senses John was leaning