Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-04-20
Interesting Subjects Plainly
Treated for Little
Readers.
STORY OF A MONSTER SNAKE.
An Interesting account of the Younges
King in Euroye, Atonscnso
Of Spain.

1n .ldcemtu,e ,cith a .Diamo,.d- Bucs !"
had gone out for sail. But it was
in one of those delightfully."- primitive
homemade" boats which abound on
this river, and which sail equally we'll
whether bow foremost or stern fore
most. Equally we'll, say, but their
best is bad. This boat would not beat
to windward at all, and I was too lazy to
row.
was waiting in the hope that an
alligator OF big turtle would perhaps
obligingly tow me to the shore. when
from the direction OF the house there
came succession of sharp, ringing
shouts, evidently the reports of rifle.
And with these came tle screams Of
children, the barking Of dog, and
other evidences of an unusual commo-
ton. This was, remember. on the third
day after our arrival in the Land of
Flowers. There were no Indians about,
and it did not seem possible that the
house could be besieged by bears;
though, failing some sucl explanation
as the presence of large game, l could
not surlnise what this 1ife-fusillade
meant. / attempted to pole to the
shore, but it soon became evident that
Harry's boat was no more true to the
pole than to her course in beating to
windward; so, to solve the difficulty, 1
stepped overheard and waded ashore.
/ The fun was all over by the time / came
on the field; but there, in the path that
led from house to river, lay veritable
diamond back, dead; one bullet through
his neck, his spine broken by another,
and his tail lacerated by third. Tt
turned out that while the children, with
"Fannie" "a fayorite Gorden setter-dog),
We're running down to the water, the dog
ahead, as usual-"pointed" at some
thing in the grass, just out OF the path.
Fastening up, in the expectation of
flushing a quail, or perhaps rabbit
Dotty (my daughter, aged S, found
this big diamond on the alert and
ready for business. AS an armed pirate
lights its battle-lanterns, clears it's
decks, and beats to quarters, SO this
terrible cruiser of the land had kindled
his eyes in flame, disposed his body
in coil, and sprung his portentous
rattle. Luckily, our "Dot," who had
visited museums in St. Augustine, we'll
knew what all this meant, and prepared
to beat retreat, calling on Fan" to
follow. But that innocent creature,
all unfamiliar with diamond backs, had
the curiosity Of her sex, and invited a
nearer approach to see if the thing were
dangerous or not. So, as the snake
was but few feet off, and time was
precious, and the story OF Eve and
Eden and the tempter too long to tell,
DOT caught the dog by the tail, and
dragged her uphill and out of danger.
Meanwhile, the alarm had been given
at the house, and gentleman, who
happened to be at home, enforcing
the party with a rifle, the reptile was
soon dispatched. In measurement it
fell short of seven feet by only one
inch. And we all thought it rather
large snake to find within hundred
feet of orr Westinghouse, and almost
in the path that we daily travelled in
going to and from the river. The Herr
Doctor thought so, too; but, in his
seventeen years on the place, he had
seen but three diamond-backs, and
these were miles from the house. And
you may be sure that during that night
and for several nights thereafter, held
my little girl very closely in my arms
before we put her to bed, and that
limits were promptly set to the chill
dren's explorations of fields and groves.
"Diamoaa'l-b backs IN Paradise, )"
by Charles Henry JTebb, IN st.
The Baby KiHS.