An Ugly Plaything

A 4-year-old son of one Riley, liviug ou the oíd Milford and Oswego turnpike, in Blooming Grove township, this county, carne into the house on Saturdny last, carrying a rattlesuake. He had one hand olasped tightly about its neck, and the other about its rattles. The mother of the child was terrifled, and screamed to the boy to throw the snake on the ñoor, which he did. It coiled up in a second, and filled the room with tho din of its rattles. Mrs. Riley seized the broom, and Hoon dispatched the serpent. Her little boy cried over the death of his venomous playthmg, and said there was moro whore he got that, and he would go after another one. Mrs. Riley summoned her knsband from au adjoining field. He asked the ehild to show kim where he got the snake. He led the way into the scrub oaks about i qpanter of a nulo from the road, to a small ledge of rock, in which thero were many fissures. Thore, baskiug in tko sim, the faxmer saw dozens of rattte suakes. He took his child in his arm and hurricd away i'rom tho spot. Procnring the assistance of a hireá maii, the two, armed with flails, returned to the den. They attacked the serpents, threshing right and left. For five minutes tho oontest waged, the noise made by tho rnttles of the snakes being almost de.ifcning. Riley and his man killed twenty-one of the reptiies, and many esoaped into the flssures in the rock. Riley's little boy had wandered aloue to this dangerous place, and had captured the snake and taken it home. It was two feet and a half long, and had