The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1879-04-11
4 NIGHT OF HORROR.

Some yeaISa~O | was travelling through
Iowa for the wei known house Of Scuy-
Ter. Hartley and Graham. of Philadel-
phia, and having bUSineS in Montgomery
the county seat of Powesheik county, |
engaged a horse at Grinnell the nearest
railroad town. for the purpose Of carry
ing me there.
Montgomery was distant some fourteen
miles. and being in nOparticUlar hurry l
j0urneyed along quite lciSuTely So that l
might feast my eyes upon the endless.
rolling praiTieS which were at this sea-
son of the year (June) clothed in wild
flowers of the most beautiful and Varie-
gated hueS.
The sun had almost reached the me-
ridian and, judging from the distance /
had come | mUmeutarily expected to see
the church spires of the town loom into
view when suddenly my horse, with
mingled snort of terror and pain. reared
up with such violence as TO almost UE-
seat me He then began ITancing fear
fully. gazing the meanwhile with terri
fed and diStcuded eyes at the ground
beneath his fore feet.
Casting my eyes in the same direction
! beheld To my horror a large snake of
the copperhead species. directly under
the horses huofS. which had already
tTampied the serpent into ahapelesS and
Writhing mass.
DismountinC. ] examined the horse
and discovered that he had been bitten
on the right foreIcg. Patting the poor
fellow. l succeeded in partially qUieting
. his fears. and. leading him away from
/ the snake. the sight of which appeared
. to cause all his terror. | finally reached a
cottage by the road side. the proprietor
Of which. upon being Informed of the
accident invited me into his house whilst
lac made the poor animal as comfortable
as circumstances would admit.
1 Entering the cottage, | saw that every
thing was ScrUpuiOUSly clean. an appear
ance Of ueatneSs and thrift pervading the
whole house and its surroundings. ]
/ had barely time to make these UbServa-
tions. when a woman entered from the
adjoining room and bade me he seated.
I turned to thank her. but | started back
in aStonishment when | saw her comte-
nance. Words are inadequate to de-
scribe her as she appeared to me-Such
an utterly Woe-hegoue. coTpse-like face |
hope never TO see again i was perfectly
bloodless and of a Ieaden hue. the eyes
being eNpressiOulesS. while her hair and
eyebrows were as white as the driven
snow. although I did not Judge her to be
more than forty years Of age.
Pcrceiving that my gaze gave her pain
| apulogiZed for my intrusion and ac-
. cepted the seat she pTotfered me.
My sOn-in-Iaw informs me that your
horse has met with an accident said
she in a quiet. subdued tone. as she seat
ed herself in chair opposite me.
Yes. ma am. replied I. He was Bit
ten 10y a snake.
shall never forget the change that
came over her in an instant: she Sprang
from her chair and frantically screamed
whilst she shook my arm, ''A snake,
where - Her face which moment
before was SO deaJhlike. now became
fairly Illuminated. and her eyes. hitheT-
to SO utterly void Of expression, actually
flashed fire as she eXcitedly reiterated
where where - The next moment
she had rushed from the house and down
the road in the direction from which
had come. wailing as she ran. ''Oh the
cruel. cruel snakes -
To say that [ was surprised and aston
ished at this extraordinary scene bu
family expresses the true state of IN!
feelings, and ] raked my brain in vain
seeking fora solution of the mystery. Tht
young man who had taken charge of m,
horse. entering shortly after, / Informed
him of what had occurred and requested
him to explain. which he did by relating
the following story
1t is some eighteen years since Mr.
John Atkinson. who was a railr0a'
builder. had contract for grading di
vision of the Chicago. Rock Island I
; Pacific r. r.. lying between the town
of Brooklyn and Grinnell. and in orde
better To superintend the work. he deter
mined to build himself a small house o
shantv Of only ONE room, intending t
occupy it but temporarily. He chose
spot about eqUi-distant from both sta
tions. and upon a large fat rock. Whic
he said would answer admirably for
floor. he built his house.
The next day he moved some fuTnituT
. into his new house. and fetching hi
young wife and infant daughter froT
Grinnell. where they were boarding
prepared to make themselves as comfort
able as possible in their limited quarters
: That night before retiring Mr.. Atku
. son fastened the door and only shuttle
, that the shanty could boast. and, eXtm
f gushing the light. jumped into bed.
R The young couple remained awake
i longer time than was their custom. COZ
. versing upon their future prospects
e | when John Atkinson. who was in tn
midst OF new project for maSsin
wealth, was interrupted by his wife
: | Mary whispering
Hush John Listen to the quee
; sound in The room.