Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-06-14
HUGGED By A SNAKE.


we used TO enjoy ourselves fishing and sailing.
One afternoon L saw flock of black ducks fy
over the house, and was sure they lighted on
the lake; 50 seized my double blrreled shot
gun and ammunition and started of. When
reached the landing. saw the ducks nway off
oy the opposite shore. at once cut some green
b0ughs with my knife and having riyged up
the bow of a smsIl at-bottomed sculi we kent
on purpose for such work / jumped in and
started Oh. had got near enough for n shot
ana hsd drawn in the scull, and was in the act
of taxing up my gun when the ducks started up
As quickly rs possible drew one hammer and
let drive. hit two OF them; but they didn't
fall into the water. They fluttered along until
IN they fell into the tall grass up in tho cove.
lie water was low and the place was dry where
!hey were. pulled up as far as could, and
then got out and walked up. Iknew very near
where one OF the ducks had fallen and very
soon had my eye on it. As ran to take it, /
saw the head OF a black snake pop out and catch
IL by the wing L saw only the head and neck
ot the reptile, and had no idea how lrrge ii was,
or II had, probably would have done Just as
did, for had no idea Of fearing such a thing
so Just ran up and Snatcbed the bird away
had left my gun in the boat. and had nothing
To Kill the chap with; but as took the duck, i
just pat my foot on the thicfs neck.
he ground was moist and Shiny and as the
snake had hiS body braccd among the roots of
the stout reeds he took his head out from under
my Loot about a. quick as Il man could com
iortabIy think. l thought I'd run back to my
boat and try to kill this fellow, and had lust
turned tor that purpose, when felt something
strike my leg, as though somebody had thrown
rope around il. | looked down and found the
snake had taken turn around my left leg with
his tau, and was in the act of clearing his body
from the grass dropped the duck and gave
smart kick, but that didn't loosen him; SO l
tried to put my right foot on him, and thus
draw my leg away; but l might as we'll have
trled to put my foot on streak of Lightning
had forgotten the propcrtOnate size of the
head OF this species Of black snake. had ex-
pected TO see a snake four or five feet long but
instead Cf that, he was nearly eight feet and n
halt. Siil! had 10 great fear, for l supposed
that when L came to put my hands on him, I
could easily take him of, for 1 was pretty
strong IN the arms Ia a few seconds he had
body all clear, and 1t was then the first real
thrill shot through me. There he held himself
by the simple turn around nv leg: with his
back arched in and out, he brought his head ON
level with mine. l made a grab for him. but
missed him, and then, as quick you can snap
your finger, he swept his head clear around my
body, and Strengthened up and looked me in
the face again L made another grab at him,
aud another quick as L could, but he lodged
me in spite of all L could do.
L next felt the snakes body working its way
up. The turn of the tail was changed 10 my
thigh, and the coil around my stomach began
to tighten. By this time began TO think there
Il
took the snake off the better. So / Just yrasped
him as near the head as possible by taking
hold where he was around me-for he couldn't
dodge that part. you knOw-and tried to turn
him off But this only made it worse The
fellow had now drawn himself up so high and
stretched himself so that he whipped another
turn around me. His tail was now under my
lett thigh, and the rest Of him turned twice
around my bOdy-Onc Of them being lust ut
the pit of my stomach and the other above it.
All this had occupied just about half a minute
from the time ne first got the turn round my
leg.
His head was now right round in front of nv
face, and he tried to make his way to my
mouth. What mis- intention was / canno;
surely tell, though have always believed be
thought ne could strangle me in that way. He
struck me one blow in the mouth that hurt me
considerably, and after that | got him by the
neck and there meant to hold him. at least
so that he should not strike egain. The mo-
lnent L grssped the neck ne commenced to
tighten his folds about my body, | soon dis
covered that he d squeeze the breath out of my
body IN that way, and determined TO unwind
him. He was wound in this way-the turn
around the thigh was from left to right then
up between the legs to my right side, and
around my back to my left side-and So on
with the second turn-thus bringing his head
up from under my arm. L had the snake now
with the left hand. and my idea was to put its
head around my back until / could reach il
with my right, and So unwind him. l could
press the fellow 5 head down under my arm,
but to get 1t around 50 as to reach il with my
right hand l could not. l tried-I put all my
power into that One-but il was an impossible
ity to do il.
Until this moment had not really been ter
rihed. l had supposed 1 could unwind the
serpent when L tried. | never dreamed what
power ne had. L trie1 it until L knew
could not do It, and then gave up. My next
thought was Of my jack knife; but the lower
evil of the fellow was over my pocket, and
could not get it,
l now for the first time called out for help
yellcd with all my might, and yet knew the
trial was next to useless, tC 9 could easily
gam the place where | was, except with boat.
Yet called out, hoping against hope. grasped
the snake by the body and pulled; tried to
break his neck. The idea presented a CLEAN
OF promise; but it amounted to nothing. l
might as well have tried TO break rope by
bending it,
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 SYM
metrical curve. He had slipped from my grasp,
and when / next caught him, found that
was weaker than before, | could not hold
The excitement had prevented me from noticing
this until now.
For few moments / was in a perfect frenzy.
leaped up and down cried as loud rs could
and grasped the snake with all my might
But 1t ayailed me nothing. lie slipped his head
from my weakened hand and made blow at
my face. This made mo mad, and gave the
internal thing another grasp with both hands,
trying once more 10 twisr 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 around my body, and
my breath was getting weak. A severe pain
was beginning TO result from the pressure and
L saw that the snake would soon have length
enough for another turn. lie was drawn So
tightly that the center Of his body was no big
ger than his head. The black skin was drawn
10 a 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, I gasped,
VL,.s al 10 a.