Mr. Henry had traveled several days with the INdians going to Fort Niagara to make peace. One day the wind was blowing so hard that they could not go on. So they camped on a point in Lake Huron.
While the INdians were building a hut, Mr. Henry was lighting a fire. He went off a little way to get dry wood, and while he was picking up sticks he heard a strange sound. It lasted only a little while; but, when Mr. Henery went a little farther, it began again. He looked up into the air to see where it came from. He looked down on the ground, and saw a large rattlesnake coiled close to his naked leg. If he had taken one step more, he would have stepped on it, and it would have bitten him.
He now ran back to the canoe to get his gun to kill the snake.
"What are you doing?" asked the Indians.
"I am going to kill a rattlesnake," he said.
"Oh, no! Don't do that!," they said.
The Indians all go their tobacco bags and pipes, and went to the place where the snake had been seen. It was still lying in a coil.
The Indians now stood round the snake, and one after another spoke to it. They called it their grandfather. But they took care not to go too close to their grandfather. They stood off and filled their pipes with tobacco. Each one in turn blew tobacco smoke at the snake. The snake seemed to like it. For half an hour it lay there in a coil, and breathed the smoke. Then it slowly stretched itself out at full lenth, and seemed in a very good humour. It was more than four feet long...
-Edgar Eggelston. Stories of American Life and Adventure
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