Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-05-14

Rugged l,y a snalse. and the Hsoape.

Vet iar from his farm was quiet lake, wher
we used to enjoy ourselves fishing and sailing
I One afternoon / saw a G0ck of black ducks III
over the house, and was sure they Lighted u
the lake SO | seized my doubIe-harreled gun
and ammunition, aud started OF. When reach
ed the landing, saw the ducks away off by tn,
opposite shore / at once cut some green bough.
with my knife; and having rugged up the bow.
OF small Hat bottorned scull we KEEP, on purpose
tor sucl work, lumped in and started off
had got near enough for q shot, and had drawn
IN the soul, and was in the act Of taking up my
gun when the ducks started up. As quick a.
possible l drew one hammer and let drive.
MT TWO OF them, but they didn't fall into the wa
Ter Ihey huttercd along until they fell into
The tall grass up in the cove. The water wa.
,ow' and the place was dry where they were
| pulled up as far as | could, and then got on
and walked up, | knew very near where one
| II the ducks had fallen, aud very soon had my
| aye on 1t. As | ran to take ii, | saw the head
ia black snake pop out and catch It by the wing
saw only the head and neck Of the reptile, anG
had no idea how large It was, or if had, prob
ably should have done Just rs did, for / hao
| no idea OF fearing such thing-so inst ran NJ
and snatched the bird away. l had left my gun
IN the boat, and had nothing to kill the char
with but rs took the duck, | Just pat my foot
on the thief neck
The groand was moist ard Shiny, and as the
snake had his body braced among the roots o.
the stout reeds he took his head out from under
my foot about as quick as n lam could comfort
ably think ] though! I'd run back to my boat
and get my gun and try 10 kin this fellow ana
had Just turned for that purpose when felt
something strike my leg as though somebody
had thrown rope around it. l looked down
aud found that the snake had taken turn
around my left leg with his tail and was in the
act OF clearing his body from the grass drop
ped the dacS and gave smart kick, but that
didn't loosen him; So tried to put my right foot
IN him ard thus draw my lett leg away but
might as well have tried to put my foot on a
streak Of lightning.
had forgotten the proportionste size of the
aead of this species of black snake. [ had ex.
s,ected to zee = snake four or fvefeet long, but
instead OF thathe was nearly eight feet and half
Still hadn any great fear, fer ! supposed that
when came to put my hands on him, could
leasily take bin off, for was pretty strong in
Ifhe arms. Iu a fow seconds he had his body all
lelear, and i was then that he first real thrill
shot through me. There Il held himself by the
simple turn around my g. ana with his back
arehed in and out, he bealght his head on a lev
Ell with mina Im2le = ys;b for him, bat miss
"a him and then, rs qlc'Z IL vou can snap
your finger, he swept lis hoad clear around my
body, and !ion Strengthened up and looked me
IN the face again. ! made another grab at him
me in spi-s o. n. ! could do.
next felt the snakes body working its way
ap The turu OF the tail was c'ltnged to my
thigh, and the cod arauDd my ST. mgch began to
tighten. A5on This time 7 bara1 30 think there
might be some serious work. and the quicker
took the >nGae OF ,is better. 50 just grasped
him as near rhahaai A. possible. by taking hold
where h. was az and na-ior he couldn't dodge
that part, yru snow--ani tried to turn him OF.
But thi only made II the worse. The fellow
had now drawn himself So. THAI he whipped an
mother turn aroud4 ne HIS tail was now IN
der my LEFT riiab, ara The iest of bim turned
twice around my bJdy-ona Of thcnfbeing Just
at the pit Of my stomach and the other above it.
All this had occupied JUS. about half minute
from the time he first got he turn around my
leg.
His head was now right around in front Of my
face, and he tried to make his way to my mouth
lNbat his intention was / cannot surely tell
though have believed that he tho't he c0nlt
strange me in that way. He struck nc enc
blow in the month that hurt me consid sTA5iv,
aud after that ! got him by the neck, and there
meant 20 hold him-at least 50 that he should
not strike me again. The moment l graspet
the neck, lie commenced TO tighten his fold,
about my body. | soon discovered that he'd
soon squeeze the broath ont Of me in that way
and | determined 10 unwind him. lie was
wound in this Way--ihe turn about the thigh
H.,
20 my right side and around my back to ml
left side-and so on with the second turn-thu>
bringing his head from under my arm. had
the snake with the left hand and my iIea was
to put his head around my back until | could
reach it with my right, and SO unwind him.
could press the fellows head down undermy arm
but 10 get il aroand 50 as TO reach it with my
right hand l could not. tried-I put all my
power into shat one arm-but it was an impos
| 5iblity TO DO it.
Until this moment had not really been ter
rifed. ! had supposed couiI unwind the ser
pent when | tried. / never dreamed what pow
er he had. tiled it until l knew | couldn't do it
and then gave up. My next thought was OF my
jack knife, bat the lower epi. If the fellow wa;
directly over my pocket: ana l could not get
| it.
1 now for the first time called out for help.
yelled with all my might; and yet I knew that
the trial was next 20 useless, for no one could
easily gain the place where l was, except with
a boat. Yet l called cut. hoping against hope
| l grasped the snake by the body and pulled
tried to break his neck. This idea presented q
gleam of promise; but it amounted to nothing
| might as well have tried 10 break rope by
bending H.
| full minute had now passed from the time
when | tried 10 pass the snakes head around
my back.
| His back had become so elongated by his grad
ual pressure around my body, that he had room
to carry his head around in a free symmetrical
curve. He had slipped from my grasp and
when ! next caught him, found that ] wa
weaker than before l could not hold him =
The excitement had prevented ne from noticing
this until now.
For few moments was in a perfect frenzy
l leaped up and down-cred as loud as | could
-and grasped the snake with all my might
tie slipped bis head from my weakened HAND
and made blow at my face.
This made.Ve n a. and gave the internal tina
another grasp with both hands, trying once Inorl
to twist his neck. Tim result was that l got
another blow On the mouth.
But the moment Ct need was at hand ] fel.
the coils growing tighter around my body, anj
my breath IVES getting weak. severe pair
was beginning to resut from the pressure. l saw
that the snake would have length enough for
another turn. lie was drawn 50 tightly thai
the centre Of his body was no bigger than his
head The back-skin was drawn to n tension
that seemed its utmost, and yet / could tell by
the working OF the large hard scales on his body
that he was drawing himself tighter still
Stricken wish absolute fright, gasped " hal
snal do What could / do The enemy foi
whom had at first held so little thought was
SLING ne-killng rue slowly, surely-and
+, had no hope. /, 4 stout strong man, was ae}u
ally held al the deadly will Of a black snake
| My breath was now short. faint and quick, and
| know l was growing purple IN The face Ny
hands and arms were swollen, ana my finger,
were nUmbed I had let 90 Of the snakes neck
and he now carried the upper part of his body
in graceful curve, his head vibrating from side
to side. with an undulating motion OF extreme
lgraeeiulness and fascination
st length l staggered / was loosing my
strength rapidly, and the pain Of my body had be
come excruciatirg. The snakes skin, where i
was eoiled abou. me, was so tight that it seeuet
almost transparent He had found ne, or hal
found him, in a state Of hunger, his stomach fre5
| from food, and lie muscular forces uuimpaired
A second time staggered, and 81 jects began Il
swim before ne 4 dizzy sensation was in ms
head a faiRtuess in my heart. and pain TIE
most agonizing in my body. The snake haG
now three feet of his body free. lie had drawn