Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1857-08-20

turned twice around my body--one
of them being jus! at the pit of my
stomach and the other above it. AL
this had occupied just about hal
a minute from the time he first go'
the turn around my leg.
His head was now right round in
front Of my face, and he tried to make
bis way to my mouth! What his in.
tention was | cannot surely tell
though l have always believed he
thought he could strangle me in that
way. He struck me one blow in the
mouth thai hurt me considerably.
and after that l got him by the neck
and there | meant to hold him; al
least SO that he should not strike a
gain. The moment grasped the neck
he commenced to tighten his folds
about my bodyl | soon discovered
that he'd squeeze the breath out Of
my body in that way, and | determ-
ined to unwind him. He was wound
in this way-the turn around the
thigh was from left to right, then up
between tbe legs to my right sice
and around my back to my left side
and SO on with the second turn
thus bringing his head up from un-
der my arm. / had the snake now
with the left hand. and my idea was
to put its head around my back un-
til | could reach with my right and
so unwind him. / could press the
fellows head down under my arm,
but to get it around SO as to reach
it with my right hand lcould hot.
tried 1T put all my power into that
one-but it was an impossibility to
do it.
Until this moment had not really
been terrified. l had supposed |
could unwind the serpent when | tried.
l never dreamed what power he had.
| tried it until ! knew | could not
do it, and then gave up. My next
thought was Of my jack kaife; but
the lower coil of the fellow was over
pocket, and l could not get it.
now for the first time called out
for help Iyelled with all my might;
and YET l knew the trial was next
to useless, for no one could easily gain
the place where ! was, except with
a boat. Yet ] called out, hoping
against hope. ! grasped the snake
by the body and pulled; l tried to
break bis neck. The idea presented
CLEAN of promise; but it amounted
to nothing. / might as we'll have
tried 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 bis gradual pressure around my
body, that be had room to carly his
head around in free Symmetrical
curve. He had slipped from my
grasp, and when / next caught him
/ found that l was weaker than
before! Icould not hold! The ex-
citement had prevented me from no
ticing this until now.
For few moments | was in per-
feet frenzy. leaped up and down
cried as loud as | could-and
grasped the snake with all my might.
But ii ayaiIed me nothing. lie
slipped bis head from my weakened
hand and made blow at my iace.
This made me mad, and ! gave the
Internal 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 tight
er around my body, and my breath
was getting weak. A 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 tightly that the
centre of his body was no bigger than
bis head. The black skin was drawn
TO tension that seemed its utmost,
and yet could tell by the working
Of the large hard scales that he was
drawing himself tighter still.
Stricken with absolute fright, l
gasped, aWhat shall ] dO?" What
could / do? The enemy for whom
Il had at first so little thought, was
killing killing me slowly, surely
and | had no hope! /, a stout,
strong man, vas being actually held
at the deadly will Of black snake!
NV hands and arms we're swollen and
nv fingers were numbed. / had