The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1858-01-13
McGREG0R, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY l3, 1858.

1000.
all. Bob, be hoLest: never take man.
trick wot don't belong to you, nor "slip'
cards, or mig" for then you can't lool
your man in the face. and when that
the case, there's no fun in the game
it's regular "cut throat" So now, Bob
farewell remember wot I tell you, snt
you'll be sure to win, and if you don't
sarves you right if you get ''skunked.'
Adv venture with large Snake.
The sun had just passed the meridian
in cloudless sky; there was scarcely
bird TO be seen, for the winged inhabi
tants of the forest, as though overcome
by heat, had retired to the thickes
shade all would have been like mid
night silence were it not for the shril
voice of the pi-pi-yo every Low and
then resounding from a distant tree.
was sitting, with little Horace in my
hand, on what had once been the steps
which formerly led up to the now moul
dering and ,dismantled building. The
negro and his little dog cana down the
hill in haste. and I was soon informed
that snake had been discovered but
it was g young one, called the Bush
master, rare and poisonous snake.
instantly rose up. and laying hold
of the eight-foot lance, which was close
by mo, We'll, then, daddy" said I,
'we'll 60 and have look at the snake.
I was barefoot, with an old hat and
check shirt and trousers on, and pail
of braces to keep them up. The negro
had his cutlass, and, as we ascended the
hill, another negro, armed with cut
lass, joined US, judging from our pace
that there was something to do. The
little dog came along with US, anawheu
we had got about half mile in the
forest the negro stopped. and pointed tc
the fallen tree. All was still and silent.
l told the negroes not to stir from the
place where they were, and keep the
little dog in, and that I woul1 60 in and
reconnoitre.
I advanced up to the place slowly and
cautiously. The snake was well con-
cealed, but at last l made him out +; il
was q coulacanara, not poisonous, but
large enough to have crushed any of US
to death. On measuring him afterward
he was little over fourteen feet long
This species of snake is very rare. and
much thicker in proportion to his length
than any other snake in the forest. A
coulacanara of fourteen feet in length is
as thick as a common boa of twenty.
fur. After skinning this snake could
easily get my head into his mouth, as
the singular formation of the jaws admits
of wonderful extension.
4 II \
On ascertaining the size of the SER
pent which the negro had just found
retired slowly the way l came, and
promised four dollars to the negro who
had shewn it to me, and one to the othel
who had joined as. Aware that III,
day was on the decline, and that tht
approach of night would be detrimental
to the dissection, thought struck MI
that could take him alive. imagin
ed, if could strike him with the lance
behind the head and pin him to ths
ground, / might succeed in capturing
him. When I told this to the negroes
they begged and entreated me to le
them go for gun and bring more force
as they were sure the snake would xii
some Of us.
I had beea at the siege of Troy fol
nine years and it would not do now te
carry back to Greece nil deceno ms
dedecus ammo. l mean. l had been il
search of a large serpent for years and
now, having come up with one. it die
not become me to turn soft. So, taking
a cutlass from one Of the negroes, ano
then ranging both the sable slaves be.
hind me, ! told them to follow me, and
that / would cut them down if they
offered to fly. / smiled as / said this
but they shook their heads in silence
and seemed to have but a bad heart tt
it.
When We got to the place the serpen
had not stirred but could see nothing
Of his head, and l Judged by the folds
Of his body that it must be at the fur
thest side of his den. A species o
woodbine had formed complete mantle
over the branches of the fallen tree, al
most impervious to the rain or the ray:
of the sun. Probably he had resortee
to this sequestered place for length 0
time, as it bore marks of ancient settle
ment.
/ now took my knife, determined t
cut away the woodbine, and break tht
igs in the gentlest manner possible
(lll l could get view of his head. On
negro stood guard close behind me will
the lance and near him the other Will
a cutlass. Tho cutlass which I hat
taken from the first negro was on th
ground close by me in case Of need.
After working in dead silence for
quarter of an hour. with one knee al
the time on the ground. l had clearet
away enough to see his head. 1t ap
pearsd coming out betwixt the first ant
second coil Of the body, and was fiat OF
the ground. This was the very position
l wished it to be in.
I rose in silence, and retreated yer,
slowly, making sign to the negroes t.
do the same. The dog was sitting at
distance in mute observance. couls
now read in the faces of the negroe
that they considered this very unpleas
ant affair and they made another at
tempt to persuade me to let them 60 10
gun. l smiled in good natured man
ner, and made feint to cut them dow
with the weapon I had in my hand
This was all the answer made to thei
request. and they looked very uneasy.
It must be observed We were nov