A SNAKE CHASES A LITTLE GIRL TWO MILES.

Dunstan Times, Issue 782, 13 April 1877, Page 4

A SNAKE CHASES A LITTLE GIRL TWO MILES.

The following snake story is related by the Ballarat Courier :—“ On Thursday, the 11th of January, as a little girl, 10 years old, daughter of Mr Twiss, of Blackhill, was leaving her father’s farm to go to Hadden, a di v tance of three miles, she espied two lane snakes enjo ing their dignified leisure under a fence. Native-like she prepared for battle by arming herself wish a stout green sapling, and in a short time sent one out of harm’s way. The other, however, instead of making track-, as is usually the case, as it were to see fair play, and on seeing his companion in arms bite the dust, prepared for action by standing erect on his tail. Our little heroine, nothing daunted, aimed a desperate blow at the spinal cord of his snakeship, but missing her mark, and seeing the enemy intent on showing fight, thought of the old adage about‘discretion, &c.,’ and beat a most orderly retreat. The snake, however, apparently determined on revenging the loss of his comrade followed up the retreat, and pursued his now discomfited enemy a tremendous pace until they reached the vicinity of Fox’s publichouse, a distance of something over two miles from where the chase began, where be managed to catch hold of the poor little girl’s frock. Her pluck never failed till then, and she allowed a set earn to escape her, which caught the ear of a bullock.driver near the hotel. On seeing the difficu ty he told her to hit the snake, which she did with the stick, with which she despatched the other snake, and then held it until the man came up and killed it. It measured 6ft. in length, and sin. in girth. On the following day the little girl killed no less than three other snakes, and in high glee brought the largest as a trophy to her father.