New Hampshire Statesman And State Journal

National Egis.

A Snake Story. It is said, of course, that it can be well authenticated. It occurred on the farm of Mr. Hayes, a few miles from Lewisburg, Penn., and is related by a correspondent of the Philadelphia Ledger:

'A son of Mr. Hayes, quite a small boy, was frequently in the practice of craving incessantly for bread, at certain hours of the day, and from thence proceeded to a small woods about a quarter of a mile distant from the house—he repeated it so frequently that it aroused the suspicion of the family; the brother, therefore, resolved to watch him, and the following morning, after the boy had taken his usual tour, he repaired to the woods, and secreted himself within the enclosure of a large tree, and in a few moments perceived two large rattlesnakes usher forth from the root of the tree the boy was seated at; the boy, from all appearances was anxiously awaiting their arrival, fed them with his little mite, frequently chastising them with a small weapon he had with him, and at other times gazing on them with exquisite admiration; the brother's feelings can be better felt than described. When he was going to make a descent on them, they retreated in good order from their companion. The family, anxious for the future safety of the boy, resolved to despatch them as soon as possible. On the following morning they repaired to the ground, and with the assistance of some of their neighbors, destroyed the reptiles. They measured over three feet long.'