A SNAKE STORY.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 261, 22 February 1877, Page 2

A SNAKE STORY.

A short time since a little boy named Ciss, residing with his parents near Mount Blowhard, was sent to drive home some cows which were pasturing on the roadside a distance from the house. The lad being absent somewhat longer than usual, his father went in search of him, and was surprised at finding the cows still feeding, but no signs of the boy. Thinking the youngster had laid down in the shade of one of the many wheat cocks distributed about the adjoining field, the lather shouted hastily, and after a short interval heard a faint cry in the direction named. Fearing he knew not what, the father hastened to the direction of the smothered sound .lie had heard, and on approaching one of the cocks he was horrified at seeing his child, a stout little.fellow about nine years of age, struggling on the ground in the embrace of a large snake. For a brief period the parent was almost petrified by fear, but his child's fearful position quickly nerved him to action, and observing that the brave little feilew —although literally encased in the folds of the reptile —had the snake fcb:htly clasped with both hands near its head holding its venomous fangs at arms length, he drew forth his pocket knife —which fortunately happened to be both stout and sharp—an 1 seizing the snake close up to where the the boy's hands clasped it, hacked the fearful' thing's head off. This was not done a moment too soon, for the child, weakened by the struggle and excitement, fainted just as his father was using the knife. To rid the boy of the slimy folds of the snake—a monster about six feet in length and five inches in circumference — was the work of a few moments, and the little fellow soon regained conscienceness. He allayed his father's fear by asserting that he had not been bitten, and this happily proved to be correct, as the boy showed no symptoms of |>oisoning. The little fellow told how he had gone across the fields for a short cut, and noticing the enticing shade of a wheat-cock had sat down to rest. Just as he was about to rise from the spot, he saw the snake quite close to him, with its head raised above the level of his own, waving backwards and forwards. For a moment or two he scarcely knew what to do, but finding the snake's head almost touching his face, he had seized it round the neck with both hands, and then he found it winding itself around him. lie had screamed till he could not scream any longer, and was beginning to f..:-.;l qu.to sleepy when he heard his father caiiin t him. T:ie rest is known. The father's timely arrival on the scene saved his child from a certain and horrible death.— Bui! a red Pott,