The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-12
ADEN OF RATrLEsNAKEs.
The Terrible Adventure Of u
school Girl In the Mountains.

The Terrible Adventure Of u
school Girl In the Mountains.
From the Reading Eagle.
A young lady In this city has received
the following letter from her friend who
is at boarding school, giving q thrilling
account Of her adventure with : huge rat.
,lesnake:
DEAR MARGrE: Three weeks ago yes.
terday afternoon, two young ladies be-
side myself, who had gone out in a walk.
Ing party with one OF the teachers OF the
school 10 this place, strolled of from the
rest Of the party, and, losing our way,
were unable for some time TO tell where
We we're, as the woods and underwood
were so thick that the further We pene-
trated into it the more difficult our pass,
age became. We wandered to and fro for
q long time, until almost overcome by
fatigue, when we sat, down on a huge
boulder 10 recover u strength. Look
ing at our watches we found that We had
been on the mountain nearly six hours,
and felt hungry, distressed and tired. Ii
was about 5 o'clock in the afternoon, and
twilight was fast approaching. "0h, but
for something TO eat,n my companion
said, "and then We could struggl. on and
try and find the school again. She APP
peared TO be the picture Of despair. We
were sitting some feet above the ground
alongside ola huge oak tree, and present
ly | felt something moving on my neck.
1 placed my hand to my neck to remove
1t, when, horrible to relate, l grasped
something round and soft, which hissed
like an adder. 1 tried to pullit from my
neck, but IL wriggled and %squirmed, and
my companion seeing the monster on my
body, shrieked and screamed and almost
tainted. Just at that moment the head
made n dart at my breast, with mouth
wide open and tongue elongated, and his.
sing a deathlike and horrible sound. My
left hand was about six inches from its
head, and. in order to prevent being Bit
ten, / grasped it right behind the eyes
with my right hand. Holding il IN :his
way for several seconds, my companion
shrieked to me to throw the snake from
the. / tried to do so, but was ~powerless,
being, "a it seemed to me, transfixed or
charmed 10 the spot by the horrid eyes
OF the. monster. | tried 10 talk, bnt my
jaws would not open, and my tongue APP
peared stiff. | felt the cold sweat trick
ling down my back, and large drops Of
preparation stood on my forehead. Ny
face was as white "a the driven snow, and
| could neither move nor talk, butseemed
10 be as stiff as a post. 1t makes me
Shudder as | write TO think OF the stare
Of the reptile.
Annie, my companion, seeing my dam
gerous situation, screamed for help. She
seemed to be bereit OF reason, for in-
stead Of coming TO my assistance she
started to run away. Trying to turn my
head to see whether she had CONT, the eyes
OF the snake we're also directed in the
direction in which Annie was shrieking.
From that moment the snakes spell on
me was broken, and with all my might !
hurled it from me. No sooner had the
snake landed on the ground than / ran
with the lleelness OF the deer, fearing
that it would oyertske the. Judge Of my
feelings when, almost out Of breath and
ready TO sink down 10 the earth from
sheer exhaustion, / turned around and
found u snake with three others several
PAGES from me, in hot pursuit. | remem.
bered that snakes were afraid OF anything
red. Fortunately having on a red shirt.
immediately exposed d Il to the reptiles
view, and they at once stopped the pur-
suit. l advanced towards them, shaking
my red shirt, and they retreattd. Igath.
cred up stones and threw at them and
killed the largest one, and the others es-
capped through the rocks. Just at this
moment a d~eputation from the school,
who had been in search Of rs, came VI.
The large snake that bad coiled itself
around my neck was found by the escort,
and itmeasures nine feet and four inches.