Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1864-11-19

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CAPTAIN 0P1nkB.
ma Adventure vy1eh : - Cen
str1ct0Ps
Al the earliest possible moment after our
camp had been pitched. hunt was set atoot,
and Capt. Grant, myself and some atteIr
dants. were soon making our way to ssthc
uath. fhese were No aniabals lhsFo when
We arrived, except few hippopotami, and
~ were therefore, obliged TO wait The COM
ing Of some more palatablc game. Our pa.
ticncc. however, VAS severely taxed; and ats
ter long DELAY. we were about 70" bag
h;ppopo(nfnus when one Of oar Attendants,
pcrchcd in tree about half : mile distant,
began waving his blanket. This was sig
nal that game was approaching. We inn
mcdiate.y drew into cover, and awaited the
coming up Of tho latter.
We were not delayed long, for presently
4 long column Of animals, from the elephant
to the hoo-doo, appeared in view, trott'ng
at good pace to the river: Their TANKS
were soon present to us, and each selecting
his object, fired. McColl shot fine young
buffalo COW, whilst Capt. Grant was equally
successful with . hoodoo, and several
spears, cast by our attendants, stopped the
career Of one or two different animals ofthe
herd.
At this iuncture, however, occurred an
unexpected adventure, that finished our
sport for that day. had sprung forward,
mmediately after firing, in order to obtain
fair shot at huge elephant that WANTED
10 bring down on account Of his immense
tusks got the desired aim, and pulled
the trigger Of my second barrel. At the
moment Of my doing SO a wild cry Of alarm,
uttered BY one Of tho blacks, called my At
tcntion. CHANGING round, my eye CHANGED
to range up into the foliage Of the tree be.
meath which Capt. Grant and myself had
lain for several hours previous.
Ny feelings may possibly be imagined as
beheld an enormous boa constructor, whose
hideous head and neck projected some dis
lance into view showing that he was about to
make fatal spring. Ills direction was GER
tainly toward me; and AZ he flashed from
his position like thunderbolt, l gave my
self up, for ere aid could have reached me,
fold after fold Of the monster would have
crushed my strong frame into quivering
pulp. fell, seemingly caught in whirl-
wind Of dust, and strange, indescribable
sucilic ensucd. In the midst Of this terri
bic strife suddenly became conscious ofthe
presence Of another victim, and even after
the time that has elapsed since then, l still
recollect with what vividness the thought
shot across my mind, that this second VIC
tim was Captain Grant, my noble compan-
ion. At last, after being thus whirled about
for several sec0nds-each second seeming
to be Observation-Disclosures ensued lull,
stiffness as Of death and opened my eyes,
expecting to look upon those unexplored
landscapes which are seen only in the coun-
try beyond the tomb. Instead Of that,
saw Capt. Grant lcvciing his rife towards
me, while, standing beside and behind him,
were the blacks, in every conceivable atti-
tude Of the most intense suspense.
In moment | comprchcnded all. The
huge serpent had struck young buffalo
COW, between which and him had unlock
lily placed myself at the moment of firing
upon the elephant. A most singular good
fortune had attended me, however. for, in
stead of being crushed into mangled mass
with the unfort innate COW, my left forearm
only had been caught in between the buff
falo's body and single fold Of the constric :
tor. The limb land Just in front of the shout
der at the root of the neck, AMI thus had q
soft bed of ilesh into which it was jammcd,
as it were, by the immense pressure of the
scrpcnt's body that was ironlike in hard
ness.
AS saw Grant about to shoot, terror
took possession Of me, for if he RETAINED
| might possibly escape, after the boa releas
ed his folds fro n the dead COW. But, sho d
he fire and strike the reptile, it would, in its
commissions, crush or drag me to pieces
Even as the idea came to me bchcld Grant
Pause. lie appeared to fully comprehend
all. He could see how was situated, that
was still living, and that my delivery de-
pended on the will of the constructor. We
could sec every lire in each others face, SO
close were we, and would have shouted or
| spoken, or even whispered at him, had l
dared, but the boa's head was within few
inches Of minc and the wink Of an eyclitl
would perhaps settle my doom so stared
| like dead man, at Grant and at the blacks.
Presently the serpent began gradually to
relax his folds, aud after re-tightening them
several times as the crushed buffalo CULVER
cd, he unwound one fold entirely. Then
he paused. The next iron-like band was
the one that held me prisoner; and as felt
it little by little unclasping, my heart stood
still with hope and fear. Perhaps, upon
being freed, the bcnumbcd arm uncontroll-
cd by my will might fall from the cushion.
like bed in which it lay. And such mis-.
hap might bring the spare fold around my
neck or chest, and then farewell to the
.ources of the Nile. Oh, how hardly, how
desperately struggled to command myself
glanced at Grant and saw him handling
his rifle anxiously. Iglanccd at the negroes
and saw them still gazing as though pctri
fled with establishment. | glanced at the
scrpcnts loathsomc head and saw its bright
deadly eyes watching for the least sign O
life in its prey.
Now, then, the reptile loosened its fold or
my arm hairs breadth, and now, littl,
more, until half an inch of space separated
my arm and its notified skin. l could hav,
whipped out mi hand, but dared not tax,
the risk. Atoms of time dragged them
selves into ages, and minute seemed eter
nifty, and the next one was easing. Should
dish away now or wait ! more favorable
momenty decided upon the former; and
with lightning snced / hOundpd nwsv IN