The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1843-09-02


moving backwards, as If in search of the
object it had lost. The muzz!e Of my
gun within ya,d or two of it; my finger
was on The trigger; fired, and it receiv-
ed the shot III lie head, Rearing up
part Of its body with horrible hiss,
which made my blood run cold-and by
It's contor'ions displayed TO my sight a
great part OF It's enormous bulk, which
had hitherto escaped my no,ice-it seem
ed ready to throw itself upon me III It's
nonslrous coils. Dropping my gun. by
single stroke Of The paddles made the
canoe shoot u the steam out Of H.,
reach. Just as was escaping, ! could
observe hat she shot had iaken effect for
blood was beginning to drop from its
n'ad. But the wound appeared rather To
have enraged than subdued him Unlor-
tunately all my shot was expended, 9th
erwise | would most certainly at res
pectiul distance. have given him "a salu-
talon OF the same kind as had just bes-
lowed. All that have described passed
in much shorter i;me than ! have taken
up in recountinsil it.
AS ! went up The stream with all The
velocity could impart to the canoe,
heard the reeds, among which the animal
was apparently taking refuge. crashing
under its weight never once Thought Of
lines had LEFT; bat h',rryiug as fast as
The canoe wonii z, taroagh III" water,
was not long in rearhiag the landing
place before Mr.. Henvault's house. las
NY moorlng the canoe. jumped ashore,
ana hurried npto die house where found
VIZ. lleinvaul,, who had jas. arrived. |
You may be certain lost no time il.
communicating tc him the almost mracu.
Ious escape had made, and t.le wound | |
had inflicted Oh the auiina. sin lha
cast SAID re "II cannot tscnpr; we NUT
immediately 90 IN search If II" and III
SANITY summonns { esar, he t"ld him to
get the guns ready, and 10 bring Two al
his fellows with him. III You choose to
assist lis IN flushing The adventure you
have begun, and to have second advru-
l0re with Eout novel antagonist. we shall
sho" you some 81 The best and mos, Jan
;fi"nS spot Our country atiprds." pro-
e"ied that nothing was farther from MY
intention than sia' ing behind, aud addeG,
hat had NOT nv shot been exDenLcd, we
ia general" he said, ''il is very danger
ours 10 attack them at close quarters, alter
being wounded, as they become extreme
" in!uriated; and there are not wanting |
instances in which life has been sacrificed
by doing so. But We now take such
precautlon IN arpro aching them, that 1t Is
next to impossible si,al any accident rar
happen" just as lie finished sa} ing dis
Cesar re-appeared, himse,E armed iii a
clph, Ole OF lhose WHO followed a'H'
carrying Il weapon Of the sane iiad, While
lhe othei was armed ui(h wraPun ria
liar 10 bilI-hnuk. This Mr.. E!ein'aG!
told me was to clear road among tht
reeds il the animal should lave rercaled
among them; the club being reckone1 Me
best instrument for close encounter
We we're soon seated III the carlnes. Gid
ing down the stream as fast AS couple al
pairs Of brawny atr~ could urge US. In a
short time we reache,: III" spot where nE
adventure had happened. The small
par. of the bank not covered with reeds,
!
! that the wound the animal had received
could moi have been slight Exactly OPP
posi,e this The reeds were crushed and
broken, and SORT of passage was formed
among them so wide, thai inan could
with Ilule difficulty enter. Mr.. lfehvan!i
commended halt, 10 see tl.at ihe aims
we're in proper order. All being right, we
listened alleutively, in order to hear il
there was any noise which might direct
us to our eneay. No sonnd however
vas heard One of the negroes entered
first, clearing with his bil-hook whatever
DISTRACTED our way. lie was followed
by Mr. Elenvault and me with our guns;
while Caesar and his ieIlow-servaut
brought up the rear The reeds were in
general nearly double our height and n
the same time pretty close. H,1 ever.
we easily made our way thro"sh Them.
partly assisted by the track which the
serpent had evidently made.
We had penetrated, | should suppose,
about thirty yards, when the fellow VIII"
was in advance gave the alarm that we
were close upon the animal. MIR. Helm
vault ordered him behind, and advancing
along with NE, we saw though the reeds
part Of the body Of the monster colled up
and part Of it stretched ont; hu, owing to
their thickness its head was invisible.
disturbed, and apparently irrl'aled by
orr'appro ach, ii appeared from its move
ments. about to turn and assall us. We
had orr guns ready. and just as we caught
glimpse of its head we fired, both of us
almost at The same moment. From the
obstruction of the reeds, all our shot
could not take efacl; but what did take
effect. seemed to be sufficient; FOR it fell,
kissing, and rolling itself into variety Of
contoriions. Even yet it was dangerous