THE CHILD AND THE BLACK SNAKE. 325 



some slight belief in the power of snakes to fascinate 

 their victims, alighted from his horse with the inten- 

 tion of leading his animal around the object of its 

 terror. ^Vhile he was doino- this the snake coiled 

 itself up and began to sound its rattle, keeping its 

 eye firmly fixed upon the enemy. Its eyes glared with 

 such fire and fury that the gentleman found himself 

 all over in a perspiration, and for a short time was 

 spell-bound and unable to move hand or foot ; he could 

 neither advance nor retreat. Happily, his reason was 

 not benumbed, and in a short time mental courage 

 began to conquer bodily fear. Staggering like one 

 in a drunkeu dream, he approached the reptile, and 

 by a luckily well-aimed blow dashed its brains out on 

 the sjDot. 



The rattlesnake is not the only fascinating reptile, as 

 witness the St. Louis (Missouri) Herald for the 12th 

 July, 1854. A black snake, more than seven feet 

 long, is there said to have displayed similar powers. 

 And the whole story ends in a fearful tragedy. 



In Franklin County, Missouri, lived a little girl, 

 thirteen years of age, along with her parents. She 

 had always enjoyed good health, but was suddenly 

 seen to waste awav, till she became a mere skeleton. 

 In the spring months of the year she exhibited a 

 strange propensity to take her meals away from the 

 house, carrying all her food to the banks of a stream 

 near at hand, where she had been known to sit for 



