Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1857-06-20

| CouIu reach IL with my right, ana so un-
wind him. IcouId press the fellows head
down under my arm, but to get it around
SO as to reach it with my right hand
| could not. tried-I put all my power
into that one arm-but it was an impos>
sibiIity to do it.
Until this moment had not really been
terrified. had supposed could unwind
the serpent when tried. never dream
ed what power he had. tried it until |
knew could not do it, and then gave up.
My next thought was of my jack knife;
but the lower coil of the fellow was di-
rectly over my pocket, and l could not
get it.
now for the first time called out for
help. yelled with all my might; and
yet | knew that the trial was next to use
less, for no one could easily gaia the
place where was, except with boat
Yet called out, hoping against hope. I
grasped the snake by the body and pulled;
tried to break his neck. This idea pres
sented gleam of promise; but it amoun-
ted to nothing. might as well have tri-
ed to break a rope by bending it.
| A full minute had now passed from
the time when tried to pass the snakes
head around my back.
His body had become so elongated by
his gradual pressure around my body,
that he had room to carry his head around
in free symmetrical curve. He had
slipped from my grasp, and when / next
caught him, found that [ was weaker
than before! could not hold him! The
excitement had prevented me from noti-
cling this until now.
For a few moments was in perfect
frenzy. leaped up and down-cred
as loud as could-and grasped the snake
with all my might. But it ayailed me
nothing He slipped his head from my
weakened hand and made blow at my
face.
This made me mad, and gave the in
ternal thing another grasp with both
hands, trying once more to twist his neck.
The result was that ] got another blow
on the mouth.
But the moment Of need was at hand.
felt the coils growing tighter and tighter
around my body, and my breath was get
ting weak. severe pain was beginning
to result from the pressure, and saw that
the snake would soon have length enough
for another turn. He was drawn so tight.
ly that the center of his body was no big
ger than his head. The black skin was
drawn to tension that seemed its ute
most, and yet could tell by the working
of the large hard scales on his body that
he was drawing himself tighter still.
Stricken with absolute fright, "What
shall do?" What could do? The en-
emy for whom had at first held so little
thought was killing 'me-kiIIing me slow
Iy, surely-and had no hope! ], a stout
strong man, was being actually held at
the deadly will of black snake My
breath was now short, faint and quick,
and know | was growing purple in the
face! My hands and arms were swollen
and my fingers were numbed! l had let
go of the snakes neck, aud he now car
ried the upper part of his body in grace
full curve, his head vibrating from side to
side with undulating motion Of extreme
gracefulness and fascination.
AT length staggered. ] was losing
my strength rapidly, and the pain of my
body had become excruciating. The
snakes skin, where it was coiled about
me, was so tight that it seemed almost
transparent. He had found me, or had
found him, in state Of hunger, his stom
ach free from food and life's muscular
forces unimpaired. A second time stag
gered, and objects began to swim before
me. A dizzy sensation was in my head
a faintness in my heart, and pain the
most agonizing in my body. The snake
had now three feet of his body free. He
had drawn himself certainly three feet
longer than before. He darted his head
under my right arm, and brought it up
over my right shoulder, and pressing his
under jaw firmly down there, he gave a
sudden wind that made me groan with
pain. Each moment was an age of ago
ny-each second step nearer to death.
My knife! o, i'll could reach il! Why
not? Why not tear it out? My arms were
free. Mercy! Why had I not thought
of that before when my hands had some
strength in them? Yes could try it. |
collected allnY femaining power for tn
effort and made the attempt. My trowss
ers were ofzblue cotton STIFF and very
strong-T could not tear e bought of
the stitches, they might not Be SO tena-
cious. grasped the cloth upon the in
side Of the thigh, and gave my last item