The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1881-07-14
A RATTLESNAKES' SPRING.

Marrow Escape In tho Blue Ridge Going to
Bed with Rather In . Mountaiueer's
Cabin.
"You may talk about your Catskill," said
q man on the hotel piassa last night; @but
did YOU ever in your in your life zee any
thing more beautiful than that?" and he
pointed to the billowy ranges Of the Blue
Ridge mountains, whose tops were losing
themselves in the soft misty hue Of twi-
light. Il tell you" he continued, there
are no more beautiful mountains in this
country than these Virginia peaks There
are just jam full of snakes"
$50 have heard, put 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 drummer for
Baltimore firm. II first met one face to
face In the most unpleasant manner a few
nights ago. had occasion to take quite a
trip on horseback you know everybody
rides on horseback in these parts-and
after trotting along fer two or thee hours,
I struck up into the mountain. The sun
was slowly sinking, casting its beautiful
lights and shades, with all their delicate
vitchery, over the surrounding landscape.
It was beautiful, and gazed, enchanted,
upo" scene which cannot describe.
Arousin. myself from my reverie, I was
warned by the deepening shadows to hasten
on. I had chosen path which was little
more than bride path, and each step the
way becoming more rough and rugged.
Over broken rocks and fallen trees I pur-
sued my way with great difficulty. Az the
shadows deepened and objects became less
discernible my horse began to manifest
unmistakable signs Of fear and uneasiness
shying at times so violently Al to almost
throw mo from the iaddle:
AT last, to my great satisfaction, dis
tinguished the sounds OF human voices
Pushing on in the direction from which
they proceeded, I came upon . group Of
men standing In front of rude log cabin.
they were rough mountaineers, aud made a
living by distilling whiskey. Riding up,
enquired the distance to my place Of des.
tination. It WAS several miles further on.
vas not acquainted with the way. It
would have been dangerous for me to have
kept on, aud asked II could be accom-
m0dated for tao night. Get down, strane-
or: get down, was the ready response. we
haven't much In the Wild country, but what
We have IL st your setvice:'"
was pretty stiff after my long ride, and
gladly dismounted. As jumped from my
horse I saw upon the ground ct their feet
what, upon examination, proved to be a
large snake. It was . moccasin, six feet
long, and m ugly looking customer. NV
exclamation Of alarm drew from one of the
men the remark that the snake had been
dispatched but few moments before nv
arrival. We had 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 . big snake close by, We
don't choose to have him loafng about the
place too familiarly, you know, for he
might snap mp some one Of us when we
were not thinking Of It, SO We settle him at
once" "'How do you do it, t asked.
| Well, when he is fine old rsttler We
try to secure him without brnakihg his hide.
We draw his attention by putting some-
thing on the end Of . pole on which is also
snare, and whom the old fellow pops up
bus head from behind the log We Just drop
the snare over him, aud one of US runs up,
and catches him by the neck and puts q
spike through his head. That IL, when We
catch them to stuff for your museums.
or them. We have several fine old fellows
On hand now"
II listened in silence. Not verv in
vlting prospect for . nights lodging, I
thought, as Stood debating in nv mind
the advisability Of moving on in spite Of
the darkness and rough roads. A sum-
mons from the cabin to supper decided me,
however. The cool mountaia air had
proved keen appetizer, and I thoroughly
enjoyed the plain but substantial meal Of
corn bread and bacon. Supper over. We
repaired again to the front OF the cabin.
A feeling OF exclamation came over ma--a
teenng which man can only experience
BY going into the very heart Of the noun.
tain. The noon had risen, and around
and above me the trees nodded in food
OF silver light. Picturesque and beautiful
beyond DESCRIPTION WAS tho scene, Danish.
Ing from my mind all disagreeable or un-
pleasant thoughts. Each rock and crao.
and bush eeemed under tho mystical LIGHT
to become transformed into something
lovely and fairylike. ~. .5.... IT.
But even the loneliness Of the night
could not dispel the WEAKNESS which VA
gradually stealing over mo nor tempt me
longer TO remain; 90, accompanied BY nv
most, WAS shown my quarters. It vas 8
1tt!e, low room, seeming 70 be OF from the
main building. Through the chinks ON the
logs came the moonlight In little patches.
The window, small port hole concern.
was built right mp against the mountain.
and beneath Il huge rock and underbrush.
AZ Stood in tho dismal comfortless room.
confess 70 . feeling Of great nervousness.
l did not like the looks Of thina1 at Ill.
BACK to my mind flashed the stories OF thu