Uncle Dick and Lisa's Old Time Animal Tales

Instances of female heroism have been cited of late; but among them all we know of none more daring and praiseworthy than the following, which happened to come under our own observation. A young lady, teacher of a school in this town, on opening her school room a few days since, found to her great surprise an uncommonly large rattlesnake in the entry. His snakish majesty with head erect seemed disposed to dispute the passage of the lady to the schoolroom, while she with the “true blue” courage of our genuine Yankee girls, was determined “to do or die.” Accordingly having properly armed herself she began the contest. The dead body of her adversary soon testified to her superior powers. The snake was found to be five feet nine inches in length, having at the end of the tail eleven rattles.