Year: 1878

From the HEADING Eagle.


A young lady i'll this city has received
the following letter from her friend who
is at boarding school, giving a thrilling
account of her adventure with huge rat
tlcsnakc:


"Threc weeks ago yesterday afternoon
two young ladies besides myself, who had
gone out in a walking party with one of
the teachers at the school in this place,
strolled off from the rest of the party,
and, losing our way, were unable for some
time to tell where we were, as the woods
and underwood were so thick that the
further we penetrated into it the more
difficult our passage became. We wander
ed to and fro for long time until almost
overcome with fatigue, when we sat
down on huge boulder to recover our
lost strength


Looking at our watshes we found
that we had been on the mountuin near
ly six honrs, and felt hungry, distressed
and tired. It was about five o'clock in
the afternoon, and twilight was fast an
preaching. 'Oh, but for something
eat my companion said, "and then W
could struggle on and try to find I'll
school again" She appeared to be tn
picture Of despair. We were setting som
feet above the ground alongside of a
huge oak tree, and presently felt some
thing moving on my neck. I placed my
hand to my neck to remove it, when hor-
rible to relate, I grasped something round
and soft, which hissed like an adder I
tried to pull it from ME, but it wriggled
and squirmed, and my companion seeing
the monster on my body, sl,rieked and
screamed and almost tainted. Just at
that moment the head made a dart at nv
breast, with mouth wide open and tongue
elongated, and Kissing dcath-like and
horrible sound.


My left hand was but six inches from
its head, and, in order to prevent being
bitten, grasped it right behind the eyes
with my right hand. Holding it in this
way for several seconds, my companion
sbriekcd to me to throw the snake from
me. l tried to do SO, but was powerlcss
being, as it seemed to me transfxed or
charmed to the spot by the horrid eyes
of the monster. I tried to talk, but my
jaws would not open, and my tongue ap:
peared stiff. telt the cold sweat trick
ling down my back, and large drops of
perspiratlon stood on my forehead. My
lace was as white as the driven snow, and
I could neither move nor talk, but SEEM
ed to be as stiff as post. It makes me
shudder as l write, to think of the stare
of the reptile. Annie, my companion,
seeing my dangerous situation, screamed
for help. She seemed to have been bereft
of reason, for instead of coming 10 nv
assistance she started to run away. Try
ing to turn my head to sec whether she
had gone, the eyes of the snake were also
directed in the direction in which Annie
was screaming.


From that moment the snakes spell on


Inc was broken, and with all my might
hurled it from me. No sooner had the
snake landed on the ground than ran
with the tleetness o. deer, fearing that
it would overtakc me. Judge of feelings
when almost out of breath and ready to
sink down to the earth from sheer ex-
haustion, turned around and found =
snake with three others several PAGES
from me, in hot pursuit. I remembered
that snakes were afraid Of anything red.
Fortunately having on red skirt, i'm
mediately exposed it to the reptiles
view, and they at once stopped the pur-
suit. advanced toward them, shaking
my red skirt, and they retreated. I
gathered up stones and trew at them and
killed the largest one, and the others
escaped through the rocks. Just at this
moment deputation from the school
who lad been in search of us came up.
The large snake that had coiled itself
around my neck was found by the escort,
and it measures nine feet and four inccs.
A largely attended meeting Of leading
manufacturers and business mon of Pottstown.
Pa. was held on the ed to make arrangements
for tariff demonstration similar to the Que
recently made at Pittsburgh. The demonstra.
ton takes place March Sd.