Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1864-10-28
Capt. Speke's Adventure with
aBoa Constructor.

At the earliest possible momen
after our camp had been pitched, hun
was set afoot, and Captain Grant mysel
and some attendants were soon maxim!
our way to "the path There were NJ
animals there when we arrived, except I
few hippopotami, and we were obliged tc
wait the coming of some more palatabl'
game. Our patience. however, was severe
ly taxed and after long delay, W.
were about to " Bag" hippopotamus
when one of our attendants, perched in ;
tree about half a mile distant, begar
waving his blanket. That W, sigma
that game was approaching. We imme
diately drew into cover, and awaited the
coming up o. the latter.
We were not delayed long, for present
y long column CT animals. from tn,
elephant to the hoo-doo, appeared in view
trotting at good pace to the river
Their hanks were soon presented to US
and each selecting his object, fired. Nc.
Coll shot a fine young buffalo cow, whilst
Capt. Grant was equally successful with
a hoo-doo, and several spears, east by ouI
attendants, stopped the career Of one OF
two different ANIMALS of the herd.
At this juncture, however, occurred al
unexpected adventure, that finished Gun
sport. at least for that day. | had
sprung forward, Immediately after firing
in order to obtain fair shot at hug,
elephant that | wanted to bring down Oh
account of his immense tusks. | got The
desired aim, and pulled the tr Yger oI
the second barrel. At the moment o.
my doing so wild cry OF alarm, uttered
by one OF the blacks, called my attention
Glaneng round my eye chanced to glance
up into the foliage of the tree beueatl
which Capt. Grant and myself had laiI
for several hours previous.
Ny feelings may possibly be imagined
as beheld an enormous Demonstration
whose hidcous head and neck projected
some distance iuto view, showed that h,
WAS about to make tatal spring. Hi,
direction was certainly toward me ; anc
as he flashed from bis position Ike ,
,hunderbolt, gave myself up, for err
aid could reach NE, fold after lold Of tn,
monster would have crushed my strong
frame iato qulverlng pulp. l Tel.
securing y caught III whIrlwlnd OF dust
and strange, indescribrbIe scutt1e ensued
Ia the midst Of this terrible strife,
sudden became conscious of the pres
ence of second victim, and even aftel
the time that had elapsed since then,
still recollect with viyidness the though
shot across my mind, that this secou>
victim Was Capt. Grant. my noble COM
panion. At last, after being thus wbir
ed about for several seconds, each second
seeming to be intermuabie, there ensuec
lull, a stiffness as OF death, and | op.
encd my eyes, expecting to look upoL
those une1pIored landscapes which are
seen only in the country beyond the tomb
Instead Of that, saw Capt. Grant level
ing his rife towards me, while standing
beside and behind him were the blacks
in every conceivable attitude Of the most
intense suspense.
Ina moment comprehended all. The
huge serpent had struck young buffalo
COW, between which and him had un.
luckily placed myself at the moment oil
firing upon the elephant. A most singu'
lar good fortune had attended me, how.
ever. for instead of being crushed into a
mangled mass with the unfortunate COW
my lett forearm only had been caug ght in
between the bufAlo's body and sugle
fold of the constructor. The limb laid
lust in front of the shoulder at the root
of the neck, and thus had Il soft bed o!
flesh, into which it was jammed, as ii
were, by the immense pressure Of The
serpeuts body, that was like iron in hard.
ness.
As saw Grant about to shoot, ter
ror took possession Of me, tor ii he re-
Trained | might possibly escape, after the
boa released his folds from the desd cow
But should ke fire and strike the reptile,
it would in its coryulsions crush or drag
me to pieces. Even as the idea came to
me, beheld Grant pause. he appeared
to comprehend all He could see how |
was situated. that | was still living, and
that my delivery depended 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, Oh
even whispered at him, had | dared
But the boa 5 head was reared within u
few inches OF mine, and the wink Of an
eyeid would perhaps settle my doom; SC
| stared, stared like dead man at Grant
and the blacks.
Presently the serpent began very
gradually to relax his folds, and re-
Tightening them several times as the
crushed buffalo quivercd, he unwould
one fold entirely, then he paused. The
next iron.ike band was the one which
held me prisoner: and as ! felt it little
by little, little by little unclasping my
heart stood still with hope and fear. Per.
haps upon being freed the benu'nbed arm
uncontrolled by my will, might fall from
the cushion.like bed in which 1t lay And
such mishap might bring the spare fold
around my neck or chest, and then fare
well to the source of the Nile. Oh, how
hardly, how desperately | struggled to
command myself.
| glanced at Grant and saw him hand.
ling his rifle anxiously. l glanced at the
negroes and saw them still gazing, as
though petrifed with astonlshment. ]
glanced at the serpents loathsome head
and saw its bright deadly eyes, watching