New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1885-10-14

so as to get good look around
and see which way to 90 next.
81 was just going to step down when
/ looked to see where ] Should put my;
foot. I think that that has been
characteristic of me all my life, child
/ always look to see where nv foot is
going before / step. If Ihad put my
foot down then from where stood, it
would have gone into Che wide-open
mouth of a rattlesnake that was
coiled up there in a, ring as big as a
alf-bushel basket. That's the way
they get when they are ready to
strike
"But didn't it rattle to give YOU
warming, grandmother"
t'No. indeed, child. That's the way
they beg when they want to sneak out
ola fight"
tI've heard that a rattlesnake is an
honorable sort of an enemy, grand
mother, and always gives a fair warn
ing
ut isn't so, child. That's like a
good many other things they tell
about snakes that ain't true. But
that snake just lay there swingin'
it's head back and forth, softly
like. All I could see was it's pink
ish red mouth, rising from that coil
Of green and black and yellow I
couldn't move-it seemed as though [
had always stood there and should
always stay there lookin' at it. At
first couldn't think. No, child, I
don't suppose the snake charmed me,
but my nerves were sort of unstrung
you know, to begin with, and I believe
| was just paralyzed with fright. Then
Isomehow pulled myself together long
enough to know I'd got to do some
thing, for the snake wouldn't wait
much longer. There was a rail and
brush fence back of me, ten teet from
the log. The only thing could think
OF was to make a rush for the top of
that fence. Then my mouth flew open
and the awfulest yell came out of it
you ever heard. At the same instant
| made a rush, jump and scramble
and the next | knew | found myself on
the top Of that fence yelling in a way
to stampede Indians. was as much
scared at the sound of my own voice
as l was at the snake, but I
kept on. Somehow felt that when
l jumped the snake had jumped too,
and had missed me. I guess it was
the yell that made him miss. I didn't
dare to look around, but kept on yell
ing. 1t was half a mile to the cabin,
and didn't have much hopes ofmak-
ing anybody hear, but said to my
self that | would never get down till
somebody came father, or the hired
man, or one of the boys. Then Iheard
q crash in the underbrush-the next
minute / had tumbled off into Johns
arms and"
"Why, that was grandfather's name!!"
"You mustn't interrupt me child
and only had time to say: The
snake, joint and he had given me an
awful kiss on my lips, yanked stake
out Of the fence and was ready to fight
the whole world for me. Idon't know
whether it was the kiss, or the danger
he was in, but / came to my senses
quick enough when he had his arm
around me, and somehow [ didn't feel
as though anything could ever hurt
me again while I chung to him-and
there never did, il he could help it."
And GRANDMOTHER wiped a tear Or
two from her eyes.
"What became OF the snake, Grand
mother!'
cit was waiting for me on the other
side of the fence. John killed tit
was six foot long, lacking an inch,
and as big around as your arm. It
had eleven rattles, and l remember
they tried the oil out of it. Rattle
snake oil was great remedy in those
days"
Chow did it happen that John was
there to save you, Grandmother, after
you had SO uncermoniously sent him
off the night before?"
"He had come back to tell me he
was going away and that / would
never be bothered with him any more,
as had said l didn't want to be.
He heard me call. That's Fan!'
said he to father. Where is she?'
father laughed at him. THAT aim the
voice Of q human creature, said faith
er. That's Fan, and 1 know it, said
John, and he followed the noise till he
got to me. It wasn't hard to tell
where the noise came from. I was so
broken up by the shock that every
thing [ looked at was green and black
and yellow, like the smoke, and so
father sent me away to visit for few
days. When I came back I had my
weddinggown with me-that's the one
packed away in the cedar chest up
stairs, and if you'll look in that little
box in the small drawer ofmy bureau,
tied up with black and white ribbon
white for the wedding, and black for
the funeral, dear-you'll find that rat
tie with eleven rattles."
Then, with q bright and beaming
smile that lit up the time-defying face:
1T was snake that got Eve turned
out of the garden, dear, and it was
snake that opened the Garden OF Eden
Tome"