And What Would YOU Do?

I can't even imagine what my response would be in the situation described below, but it probably wouldn't have been the clear-headed action of these ladies.

"FRIGHTENED LADIES

Two Young Ladies Encounter a Large Black Snake

Last Saturday, Miss Lettie Davison invited her young friend, Miss Mabel Switzer, to be her companion on a voyage up the Auglaize river.  

The young ladies embarked in a rowboat near the Hopkins street bridge for Bouton's Island and all went merrily.  Miss Lettie is an accomplished young lady in the art of handling the oars and the boat house was soon lost in the distance.

 Mr. Davison's family are lovers of the water and have a splendid boat well equipped and appointed.  The boat is provided with a log book and the incidents of all the voyages are always carefully recorded on its pages.

Miss Lettie thought this trip afforded interest sufficient to make a chapter and the oars were allowed to trail in the water while she chronicled some notes that came to her mind.

While writing, she dropped her pencil which rolled under the running board of the boat.  This board was covered with a carpet and, as the rug was raised, the ladies were horrified at seeing the shining coils of a huge snake glistening in the sunlight.  They had an unbidden guest in the form of one of the largest black snakes the ladies had ever seen.

The fair boatwomen did not scream or do anything usually attributed to the fair sex on such occasions.  They clambered on top of the seats and paddled to the shore thoroughly frightened.  They hollored to some men after they had gained the shore, but their cries were unheeded.  They looked at the boat and saw about three feet of the glistening snake reared above the gunwale.  

 The serpent protruded his tongue in a manner that led them to believe his special forte was terrorizing ladies.  They tried to kill him with an oar, but he skillfully eluded the blows and finally disappeared.  They thought he had sought refuge under the carpet.

A council of war was held by the crew and they concluded to put the ship about and make a run home where they were sure of reinforcements.  The girls stood upon the seats and propelled the boat home.  They then had their force augmented by Mr. Davison, who instituted a hunt for his snakeship, but it was found he had disappeared, probably in the excitement occasioned by the attack with the oar.

The ladies were badly frightened and it is a foregone conclusion that the next time they go out, they will search the craft thoroughly before they embark."

Democrat Defiance, August 8, 1895