The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1851-06-18
WoODSFIELD, OHIO, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 49, 1851.


bottom of the nulla with, most likely, a
couple OF fathoms of water over his head,
unc conscious of danger, and little dream
ing that the two legged creatures on the
bank had got nerve communicating with
his stomach, through which they were 60.
ing to send flash Of lightning that would
shatter his scaly hulk to pieces.
Every thing being now ready, | made
the fatal contact Our success was com.
plete! We felt shock as if something
had fallen down the bank-a mound Of
muddy water arose, with muffied rumb.
Ing sound, and then burst out to col.
umn of dark smoke. A splashing and
dabblng succeeded, and then great GRIM
son patch fioated on the water, like va
riegated carpet pattern. Strange looking
fragments of scaly skin we're picked up
by the natives from the waters edge, and
brought TO US amidst very general re-
|joicing. The exploded Mugger aoated
down the stream, and the current soon
carried it out of sight. We were not at
all sorry, for it looked such horrible mess
that we felt no desire to examine it.
Our sense of triumphant satisfaction
was. however, sadly damned week af.
terward, when we heard that Sidhoo's
Mugger was still alive, and on his old peat.
apparently uninjured. ltwas evident that
we had blasted the wrong Mugger! We
consoled ourselves with the reflection, that
if he we're not Sidhoo's murderer, it was
very likely he was not wholly innocent Of
other atrocities, and therefore deserved his
fate.
OF course it was impossible TO rest while
Sidhoo's Mugger remained alive, so we
were not long in preparing for second
expedition. This time we took the pre-.
caution of not charging the battery until
we were certain that the bait was swallow.
ed. The acid, diluted to the necessary
strength, was, therefore, carried in one OF
those brown earthenware jars called gray
boards, which had come out to US full OF
Glenlivet whlskey. We commenced drag.
ging the kid up the stream, as before; but,
having walked more than mile without
getting bite, we were getting rather dis.
heartened, and sat down 10 rest, struck a
light and smoked cheroot. Hall laid
down, having manufactured an inpromtu
chair out of his coil of rope, with the in
hated goat-skn placed above it. My
brother was not long in initiating his ex-
ample and laid down under the shade
of some reeds. near to the waters edge.
The hea. was oppressive, and we were dis
cussing the probability Of getting bite
that day. and lamenting that we had not
brought some pale ale along with us, when,
all at once, got a sparp blow on my leg,
while my brother came spinning down the
bank like teetotem-a companion pic
ture to Hall, who was revolving down the
opposite bank. The ropes and skins
went rushing down the nulla at tremen.
dous pace. As soon as we recovered
from the laughter into which we were
thrown by this droll contratemps,w set off
in pursuit guided by the track which the
inflated skins made in the water. On
thew went, dashing from side 10 side, as
thew had done in our first attempt. On
coming to place where the nulla made a
sharp turn they stood still under the high
bank, on the inner curve Of the bend. 1t
fortunately happened that the bank, near
10 which the skins were floating was too pre-.
cipitous for us to get near them, without
starting the Mugger from his present posi-.
ton. With much labor, we detached
some loose sods from the top of the bank
and sent them with a loud splash, into the
water, directly over where we imagined
him to have taken up his quarters. This
had the desired effect, for the skins began
to move slowly down the stream, as if the
Mugger were crawling leisurely along the
bottom.
Leaving my brother with the coolies in
charge of the battery, | ran on to where
the bank was more shelving. By good
luck, the stream was rushing up, after its
sudden sweep, and sent a strong current
against this bank. had not waited ma.
Inv minutes, before the skins came floating
around the corner, to where was stand
ing. | seized the one to which the wire
was attached, desiring my brother to
charge the battery and bring it down.
This he did much sooner than | could
have expected; for as the battery was now
empty, one coolie was able to carry it on
his head, while my brother took the jar OF
acid in his hand. 1t was evident from the
moi ton of the other skin in the water that
the Mugger was still moving-so no time
was to be lost. made the connection
with the battery with one Of the wires; in
another instant the circuit was complete,
and the Mugger's doom sealed.
/ There was momentary pause-owing
suppose, to some slight loss in insoltation
lin the wires-then came the promonatory
shock, then the rumble, the smoke and
the sparks; and great bloated mass o
4 flesh and blood rose TO the surface of The
water. Hall called out TO us TO drag i
ashore, and see whether we could get any
trace Of poor Sidhoo. We tried by th'
means OF a bamboo pole topull il to th'
bank, but the glimpse we got Of it wa
so utterly disgusting that we pushed it OF