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

he bite you!"
Gas / raised him clear of the floor, he
seemed to be nearly three feet long, and
his ugly head was twisting i'll every di-
rection, so as to get chance to bite me.
l knew if let go of him he would bite
me, and his bite was certain death, as
there wasn't a doctor nearer than Fort
Winnebago 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 a quick snap
like the cracking of a 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
L had ever snapped, yet, as something
must be done, and that quickly, 1 re-
solved to try it. 1 lowered him so that
his head nearly touched the floor, aud
giving him quick twist and jerk, /
could hear him crack like whip. A sick,
dizzy feeling came over me, and reeled
and fell on the bed; had tainted. When
| came to my senses John was leaning
over me with towel and basin of water,
and l could feel the water dripping from
my face Where's the snake p said ].
Il threw HIM out of doors, said John.
He's dead enough; you broke his back
while was hunting for a stick. "
"My ! my and what a narrow escape
you had, anyhow L don't know, but if
snakes be so plentiful as that, 1 think I'll
go back to Ireland. / believe if one o.
them would get on me I'd die of fright; I
have such a dread of the ugly monsters, F"
said Dan.
Chatting thus to while away the time,
we arrived at the outskirts of the Indian
encampment, when [ said to Dan: "Now
don't let these fellows see that you are
in any manner afraid of them, for, al
though don't believe they would do you
any harm, yet they might be disposed to
play some tricks on you. They are pret-
ty keen fellows, and up to all kinds of
devilment. Keep along with me all the
time, and, as they nearly all know me,
they won't molest you. Well give them
those three prairie chickens that you are
carrying, and you can see how quickly
they will pick and cook them"
"Do they just pick off the feathers an
cook them without taking out the in
sides ?" asked Dan.
eyes" l answered; they are not
fastidious in their appetites. I believe
an Indian can eat and digest anything" !"
At this moment tall redskin, wrap
ped in dirty blanket, stepped from be-
hind tree, and stood directly in front of
Dan. Neither of us heard him, as he
had buc1skin mOccasins on his feet, and
his tread was as light as a cats.
Dan started rs though he had seen
one of his favorite ghosts, and, clutching
me by the arm, he exclaimed: "Howly
mother! Mr.. Charles, IL that the
divil!"
Ono, it's only an Indian; now, don't
be fool, and he won't notice YOU
1 knew this fellow right well. He was
one of the hunters of the tribe, and had
his rifle in his arms, while the blanket
concealed everything except his face
He had been asleep, and was covered up
to keep off the mosquitoes and flies. He
was very friendly and could speak pretty
good English, and as we walked toward
the camp he informed me that he had
been out hunting all the morning, and
had not as yet killed anything for his
dinner. knew what he was after. He
had seen the chickens that Dan carried,
and was talking for them. I gave him
one, and we were not troubled any longer
with his company, as he hurried off to
cook it.
In about five minutes we reached the
camp, and found about fifty men,
women, and children lounging around
on the ground, some smoking, some
playing cards and talking, while others
were stretched out asleep, and not one
of the whole gang engaged at anything
useful, except a young girl, who had a
rude frame in front of her, and was shay
ing the hair from a deer skin. Dan
didn't know what to make of them; he
looked from one to the other, then at me,
but spoke not word. At length one of
them came up to him and held out his
hand to shake hands with him, but Dan
hadn't reached that degree of familiarity
yet, and shrank away from him. | took
the Indians hand, and the first ques-
(whisky.)
answered.. - NO.
At that time the penalty for giving OIL
selling an Indian Intoxicating liquor was
$100 fine and three months imprison,
ment; they would get drunk whenever
an opportunity offered, and when in that
I condition were not unlike their white
brethren-they would fight and some
times kill each other. This tribe o1
Winnebagos were miserable set Of
vagabonds; they had sold their land tC
the United States government, and spent
the money, and subsisted by hunting
and stealing. They occupied a small
reservation on the south side of Buffalo
lake.
There was another tribe some twenty
miles to the northward-t the Menomi
nees-whose condition and general APP
pearance was superior to the Winneba
gos. They were protected by the gov
ernment, and received regular annui
ties of food, blankets and money. Abou
the first of September they would COM
down to the lake and encamp there
couple of weeks for the purpose O
gathering the wild rice that grows il
the marshes along the lake, and it no
unfrequently happened that they ant
the Winnebagos would have fight, es
pecially if either party were drunk
The last fight they had was about tw
years before was there, when four wer
killed and number badly wounde,
with knives and clubs.
Dan and walked around among them
but 1 saw that he was anything bu
comfortable, and kept close by me al
the time. / gave my two remainin
chickens to an old squaw, who was yer
profuse in her thanks, and / proposed t
Dan that we catch few fish and stal
, for home. Dan was very glad to ge
away from them, and we walked dow
| to the bridge which spans the channt