The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-03-09

I length.
Taking the piece If timber IN my
hand | asked him what | was to do
with it.
"See," he said, Il have one, it
will assist you in climbing oyer the
rocks and logs and protect you
against any rattlesnake that may
lift its head"
This last expression nearly par
rlyzed me; it certainly, for time be.
ing, knocked every particle of ro-
nance into atoms.
To fight rattlesnakes! Was this
the country of which l had been so
long dreaming, to which l had so
longed to visit, where l could roam
at will and pleasure and revel in the
beauties of nature? To fight rat
tiesnakes! The very idea made my
blood curdle. had read the awful
accounts given by the old hunter of
his fights with these reptiles; how
he had made rope of twisted glade
grass and wrapped them around his
legs as high up as his knees, so as to
protect him against the strike of
their teeth, in case of an attack, but
from some cause, until in this mo-
ment of fear, they had never re-
Cured to me.
Riveted to the spot, and as | have
often thought since, good picture
of Joe Jefferson as Bob Acres in
"The Rivals" when he enters the
grounds upon which the duel was
to take place, / said:
"Mr. Browning, if there is any
thing that walks, crawls or creeps
on Gods earth of which am afraid
it is snake. From my boyhood to
this hour l never came near even a
garden snake that l did not turn
and go, saying at the time, go snake,
there is plenty of room in this world
for you and L. "
"Pshaw," exclaimed Mr.. Brown
ing, "come on, l will 60 in the lead
and protect you. Besides, they al
ways give you warning.
Warning for what?" l queried.
warning that you must come no
further
81 will obey the warning and
quickly at that. But let ME ask
you. Why do you wear those leg
! glngs YOU have on?'
"To protect my pants from the
dirt, briars and snakes"
"That is good English and good
sense. Now, please tell me what is
to protect my pants from the dirt
and the briars, and more especially
my feet from the snakes, since |
only have on low-quartered shoes?"
"Do not give yourself the slight
est fear, l will see you through safe.
These snakes have greatly disap-
peared in number since grand
fathers day. They have been
hunted, their dens found and thou
sands killed by various methods.
There are still some in Meadow,
Backbone, Savage and other ranges
of mountains, and on Hoop Pole
Ridge, which you crossed this morn
ing. You seldom see one about
here, so come on, do not be afraid"
| had often followed this old poll
tician, but, by no means, old man,
in some of his numerous campaigns,
and as often came out victorious
and without scratch. So | must
cred up my courage and said, eco
on, | will follow
Our path for mile or so, to the
line already mentioned. was through
a rough stony piece of meadow land,
from which the timber had been cut
and removed, but which was now
covered with tall weeds, grass and
tatter-bushes, and occasionally we
would be obliged to jump a small
spring branch which made its way
to the creek nearby. l afterward
found quite number of these
branches on the opposite side of the
creek. | was informed that the
trout would come to feed at the
mouth of these streams, and, in
spawning season, the female would
make as far up as they could with
safety to spawn.
When we reached the point where
We were to cross my fear was again
aroused. 1t was simply frightful
barricade formed from the drift
wood, broken branches of trees and
other refuse from the woods. 1t
was just such place as one might
suppose that lizards, snakes and
such species of reptiles would come
to doze in the noontide sun. Fol-
lowing closely behind Mr.. Brown
ing, we were no sooner over than we
were over our heads in thick bushes
and much thicker weeds and grass
than those We had just made our
way through before reaching the
creek. The condition of things did
not extend but few yards when a
| v,oorn