The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-11-24
tim was Captain Grant, my noble CON-

At last, after being thus whlrled abou
for several seconds, second seeming inter
minable. there ensued lull, stiffness
as death, and l opened my eyes, expec
ting to look upon those unexplored land
scapes which are seen only in the coun
try beyond the tomb. Instead of that,
saw Captain Grant leveling his rife tow
ard me, while standing beside him and
behind him were the blacks, in every
conceivable attitude of the most intense
suspense.
In moment I comprehended all. The
huge serpent had struck a young buffalo
cow, between which and him | had un-
luckily placed myself at the moment OF
firing upon the-elephant A most singu-
lar good fortune had attended me, howev-
er, for instead of being crushed into a
mangled mass with the unfortunate COW,
my left forearm only had been caught in
between the buffalo's body and single
fold of the constructor The limb laid
Just in front of the shoulder at the root of
the neck, and thus had a soft bed of flesh,
into which it was jammed, as it were, by
the immense pressure of the serpent's
body, that it was like iron in hardness
As | saw Grant was about to shoot, ter
ror took possession of me; for if he re-
Trained, l might possibly escape, after the
boa released his folds from the dead COW.
But should he fire and strike the reptile,
it would in its convulsions crush or drag
me to pieces. Even as the idea came to
me, beheld Grant pause. He could see
how was situated, that my delivery de-
pended on the will of the constructor
We could see every line on each others
face so close were we, and | would have
shouted or spoken, or even whispered to
him, had l dared But the baa's head
was reared within few inches of mine,
and the wink of an eye lid would perhaps
settle my doom so stared, stared like
a dead man at Grant and at the blacks.
Presently the serpent very gradually
began to relax his folds, and retightening
them several times as the crushed buffalo
uuiyered, 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, my arm
uncontrolled by my will, might fall from
the cushion like bed in which it lay
And such mishap might bring the spare
fold around my neck or chest, aud then
farewell to the sources Of the Nile oh,
how hardly, how desperately | struggled
to command myself! / glanced at Grant
and say him handling his rife anxiously.
I glanced at the negroes, and saw them
gazing as though petrifed with astonish-
mcut. l glanced at the scrpent's loath-
some head, aud saw its bright, deadly eyes,
watching for the least signs Of life in its
prey,
Now the reptile loosened its fold on my
arm hairs breadth, and now little
more until half an inch of space separated
its notified skin from my arm. | could
have whipped out my arm but dared not
/ take the risk. Atoms of tune dragged
themselves into ages, and minute seem
ed eternity itself The second fold was
removed entirely, and the next was eas,
ing. Should | dash away now, or wait a
more favorable moment? / decided up
On the former; and with lightning speed
| bounded away towards Grant, the crack
of whose piece L heard the same instant
For the first time in my life | was tho
roughly overcome and sinking down
remained in semi conscious state for sew.
eral minutes.
/ When / fully recovered, Grant and the
overjoyed negroes held me up, and point
ed out the boa constructor still writhine
in his death agonies. shuddered as
. looked upon the effects of his tremendous
diving strength. For yards around where
he Law, grass and bushes and saplings, snc
in fact everything except the more fully
grown trees, were cut clean off, as if they
had been trimmed with an immens'
scythe. This monster, when measured
was ffty-one feet two inches and half il
extreme length, while round the thickes
; portion of the body the girth was nearly
three feet, thus proving, | believe, to b.
, the largest serpent ever authentleall.
, heard of.
The Russian Army.
The Russian Government encourge'
IA