The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1881-06-29
RATTLESNAKE'S SPRING.
Going to Bed with n Rather In n Mountnin-
ecr's Cnbin--A Night OF Terror--Fishing
for Snakes with Poles and Stuling Them

ing, "but did you ever in your life see
anything more beautiful than that"
and he pointed to the billowy rtnge of
Blue Ridge Mountains. whose tops were
losing themselves in the soft, misty hue
of twilight. "Itell you,"be continued,
"there are no more beautiful mountains
in this country than these Virginia peaks.
There is only one thing I have against
them: they are just jam full Of snakes"
$50 I have heard, but it has never
been my fortune to meet with any face
to face"
"You can thank your lucky stars then,"
said the man, who was a drummer for q
Baltimore firm. II met one face to face
in the most unpleasant manner a few
nights ago. T had occasion to take
quite a trip on horseback-you know
everybody rides horseback in these parts
and, after trotting along for two or
three hours, I struck up into the noun
tain. The sun was slowly sinking, cast
ing it's beautiful lights and shades, with
all their delicate %witchery, over the sur
rounding landscape. 1t was beautiful,
and I gazed, enchanted, upon a scene
which I cannot describe. Arousing my
self from my r~everie, I was warned by
the deepening shadows to hasten on. I
had chosen a path which was little more
than a bride path, and at each step the
way was becoming more rough and
rugged. Over broken rocks and fallen
trees I pursued my way with great diff
Guilty. AS the shadows deepened and
objects became less discernable, my
horse began to manifest unmistakable
signs of fear and uncasiness, shying at
times so violently as to almost throw me
from the saddle. At last, to my great
satisfaction, I distinguished the sounds
of human voices. Pushing on in the
direction from which they proceeded, I
came upon a group Of men standing in
front of q rude log cabin. They were
rough mountaineers, and made a living
by distilling whisky. Riding up, I in
quired the distance to my place of des-
tination. It wa several miles further
on. I was not acquainted with the way.
1t would have been dangerous for me to
have kept on, and I asked if I could be
accommodated for the night. Get down,
stranger get down. was the ready re-
spouse. we haven't much in this wild
country, but what we have is at your
service I vas pretty stiff after my long
ride and gladly dismounted. As I
jumped from my horse I saw upon the
ground at their feet what, upon examin-
alton, proved to be large snake. It
was q moccasin, six feet long, and an
ugly-looking customer. My exclamation
of alarm drew from one of the men the
remark that the snake had been dis
patched but a few moments before my
arrival. I'VE had a pretty hard job Of
it, he said, but we fixed him at last.
We don't care much for them; but the
fact is when we do spot a big snake
close by we don't choose to have him
loafng about the place too Familiarity,
you know, for he might snap up some
ene~af, us when we are not thinking OF
it, so we settle him at once
"'How do you Do h%" asked.
"'Well, when he is a fine old -rattler
We try to secure him without breaking
his hide. We draw his attention by
putting something on the end of a pole
on which is also a snare, and when the
old fellow pops up his head from be-
hind the log we just drop the snare over
him and one of us runs up, catches him
by the neck and puts a spike through
his head. That is, when we catch them
to stuff for your museums. O, there
ale lots of them about here, lots of them.
We have several fine old fellows on
hand now"
II listened in silence. Not a very in
viting prospect for a nights lodging, I
thought, as I stood debatingin mymind
the ACCESSIBILITY of moving on in spite
of darkness and rough roads. A sum-
mons from the cabin to supper decided
me, however. The cool mountain air
had proved q keen appetizer and I
thoroughly enjoyed the plain but sub
stantial meal of corn-bread and bacon.
Supper over, we repaired again to the
front Of the cabin. A feeling of exhila-
ration came over me-af feeling which a
man can only experience by going into
the very heart of the mountain. The
moon had risen and around and above
me the trees nodded in a food of silver
light. Picturesque and beautiful be-
You'd description was the scene, Danish
ing from my mind all disagreeable and
unpleasant thoughts. Each rock, crag
and bush seemed under the mystical
light to become transformed into some
thing lovely and fairy-like.
"But even the loneliness of the night
could not dispel the WEAKNESS which
was gradually stealing over me nor
tempt me longer to remain, so accom-
panied by my host I was shown my
quarters. 1t was q little low room,
seeming to be off from the main build
ing. Through the chinks in the logs
came the moonlight in little patches.
The window, a small port. hole concern,
was built right up against the mountain
and beneath it huge clumps of rock
and underbush. AS I stood in the dis
NAL, comfortless room 1 confess to a
feeling of great nervousness. 1 did not
like the looks of things at all. Back to
my mind flashed the stories Of the eve
ming. I was conscious for the first
time in my life of being actually afraid.
I set about my preparations for the
night with as good a stock of courage
as I could summon to my aid, making q
careful survey of the room and filling
up the chinks as best I could. Hardly
had I finished ere my candle aickered,
sputtered spitefully and went out. I
my straw bed, placed my revol-
YER under my coat and settled myself to
try and sleep. But sleep 1 could
not.
CATER passing what seemed hours of
wakefulness, extreme WEAKNESS and the
low wind soughing through the pines
threw me at last into n restless uneasy
slumber, in which my dreams were filled
with frightful visions. From one more
horrible than all the rest, | woke with a
start. From the foot of the bed came a
harsh, grating sound. What could it
be? I tried to assure myself that the
sound held no significance for me, but
instinctively I felt a horrible sensation
of something near-dangerously near.
1 raised myself up, only to sink back
with a low cry of horror. The moon
light, streaming into my window, re-
vealed to ME my situation. There, at
the side of the bed, slowly coiling itself
for q spring, wa 4 huge snake. l quick
ly felt for my revolver. 1t was gone.
The agony of the moment was beyond
all words. tried to jump to my feet.
At that moment the snake sprang to-
ward me, just grazing my shoulder and
with a heavy thud on the other
side of me. With one bound / reached
the door, and with a wild cry of alarm
aroused the inmates. Almost instantly
all hands were on the spot. They found
his snakeship just retiring through n
of the holes between the logs. He
was soon disposed of and proved to he
a RATHER seven feet long, with thirteen
A search was made for my re-