The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-04-18
"Can a fellow get drink of water


about here ?" said he.
eyes," said I, "there is a spring
under that oak tree over there to Our
left. I often stop there on my way to
and from the lake.
We turned off to the left, and crossing
marshy place of.about a 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 small pond in low
place O few yards beyond. This was
favorite resort for the cattle that grdzed
on the prairie, and they had cropped the
grass very close around the spring l
laid down my gun, and we each took
drink of the cool and refreshing water.
"Lets stop here q bit," said Dan.
"It's beautiful place, and we'll rest
ourselves awhile. My, my, but this
minds me of place at home" and Dan
threw himself down at full length on the
soft grass.
IF 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
place so grand and beautiful, and then |
would turn and look Mt the river flow
in along so peaceful in the bright sun
shine. And the last time 1 was there it
was the day before I was to start for
America, an I said to myself, well, l
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 I thought
of him for that very reason, for if q man
does not love his country and his home,
no matter how humble or rninviting it
may may be to 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 l awoke | felt
as though something had touched my
leg, and, looking around, I perceived a
huge moccasin snake crawling off toward
my gun, which it reached, and perchcd
itself upon the stock, which was lying
fiat upon the grass. A cold sensation
came over me I felt as though the mon
ster had crawled over me, which, no
doubt, it had, rs T lay asleep. I looked
around for stick, but, of course, when
your are most in need Of one there is
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. I didn't stop long to
look at him, as there was nothing very
handsome or attractive in his appearance,
but drawing my revolver, I 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 all
ugly strike, but his wrath and venom
we're spent upon the air, and he fell upon
the grass. 1 seized my gun as quickly
as could, and bringing down the butt
upon his head dispatched him. All this
was the work of a few seconds, when,
hearing Dams voice inquiring: What's
the matter ?"
turned toward him, and to my hor-
ror saw huge moccasin not six inches
from his leg, and apparently asleep.
"Dont 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 shoe
me I feel the blood"
A few pellets of shot had stung his
leg; but when I 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 I felt something"
"Let 60 my arm, Dan; there's an
other" said I, and I shot him, and, re-
loading quickly, it was not two minutes
before 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 1. "Come, follow me, and
make as much noise as you like, for I
expect that piece of low ground that we
have to pass through is full Of them, and
maybe you can frightem them off"
Dan needed no second invitation. In
stead of following, however, he beat me
about twenty-five yards in our run across
the marsh; and when we reached Macs
house, he swore by all the saints that he
would not live in that country another
month for mint of money.
When told Mac where we had been,
his face turned shade or two paler, and
he said: "I wouldn't 60 to that spring
this time Of year for hundred dollars.
Ben Kerr and I burned off that marsh
two seasons ago, and we killed with
sticks fifty-six moccasins, and I don't
know how many were burned up"
And I used to stop there for drink Of
water every time went over to the lake.
It is needless to say that was my last
visit to the beautiful pring.-Phila-
q Il