The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1864-11-17
Adventure with u Boa Eo.l-

and Capt. Grant, myself and som, attend
ants were soon making our way to the
path There were no animals there when
we arrived, except few hippopotam, and
we were, therefore, sbliged to wait the com.
ing efsome more palatable game Our.pa.
tience. however, was severely taxed; and
after long delay, we were about to bag
hippepatamLs, when one of our attend.
ants, perched in a tree abeut half mile
distant, began waving his blanket This
| vas signal that game was approaching
We Immediately drew into cover, and
awaited the coming up of the latter. /
We were not delayed long, for presently
long column of animals, from the elephant
to the hoe-doo, appeared in view, trotting
at good pace to the river. Tneir hanks
were soon presented to us, and each Sc
lecting his object, fired. McCoIl shot
fine young buffalo COW, whilst Capt Grant.
was equally successful with hoo-doo, and
several spears, cast by our attendants,
animals OF the herd. y. ...
AT this juncture, however, occurred an un-
expecssd adventure that finished our sport =
for that dly. had sprung forward, imme.
diately after firing, in erder to obtain fair
shot at huge elephant that wanted to-
bring down on account of his immense .lf
tusks. fgot the desired ain, and pulled
the trigger of my second barrel Atths
moment of my doing so wild cry of alarm,
uttered by one of the blacks, called my at
tention. Glancing around, my eye chanced s
to range UP into the fo,iage Of the tree be-
meath which Capt. Grant and myself had 20
lain for several hours previous. -. b
Ny feelings may possibly be imagined az
beheld an enormous boa constructor, whose
hideous head and neck projected some dis:
tance into view, showing that he waste 81
make fatal spring. His direction was y
certainly toward me: and as he flashed
from his position like a thunderbolt, / gave
myself up, for ere aid could have reached
me, fold after fold ofthe monster would
have crushed my strong frame, into qniv-
eriHg pulp. I fell seemingly caught ina
of dust, and a strange, ndes-
cribable scuffle eusued. Ia the midst Of this
terrible strife suddenly became conscious
Of the presence oe "a second victim, and
even after the time that has elapsed sincs
then, still recoilect with what vi9idaesS
the thought shot across my mind, that this
second victim was Capt. Grant, my noble
companion. At last. after being thus 7T
whr!ed about for several seconds, each Sec y
ond seeming to he interminable, thereon.
sued luii, sti.Eaess of death, and opened p
my eyes, expecting to look upon those un-
explored landscapes which are seen only in
the country beyond the tomb Instead of
that, | saw Capt. Grant leveling his riff,
towards me, while standing beside and be-
hind him. were the blacks, in every con-
ceivable attitude of the most intense sus- "a
pense. .f i at
In moment comprehended all. The
huge serpent had struck young buffalo
cow, between which and him 1 had unluck.,g
ly placed myself at the moment of firing up-
on the elephant. A most singular good for-'J
Of being crushed into mansled 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 soft
bed of flesh, into which it was iammed, as,
it were, by the immense pressure of the,
serpent's body that was iron like in hard,
ness.
AS saw Grant about to shoot terror
took possession of me, for If he refrained
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 I beheld
Grant pause. He appeared TO fully com.
prehend all. He could see how was stu
ated, that was still living, and that my
delivery depended on the viii of the con-
strctor. We could see every line on each
others face, so close were we. and would
have shouted or spoken, or even whispered
at him, had dared, but the boa's head
was within few inches of mine, and the
wink of an eyelid would perhaps settle my
doom; so stared, Ikea dead man, at
Grant and mt the blacks. 56 u- ,rsa
Presently the serpent began gradually to
relax his folds, and after re tightening them
several times as the crushed buffalo auiver-
ed. 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 unclaspins my heart stood
still with hope and fear. Perhaps, upon be-
ing freed, the benumed 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, and then farewell 20 the sources
Of the Nile. Oh, how hardly, how dtsper-
ately struggled to command myself I
glanced at Grant and saw him handling Ms
rife anxiously. | glanced at the negroes
and saw them still gazing as though pe,ri-
fed with astonishment. | glanced at the
serpert's loathsome head AMI saw its bright.
deadly eyes watching for the least sign OF
life IN Its prey.
Now then the rpnt;la fanccpal a. f,la