The weekly union record., 1864-12-03
Adventure with a Boa Constructor.

and Captain Grant, myself, aud some attend
ants were soon making our way 70 the patch
There were no animals there when We arrived.
except few hippopotami. and we were, there
fore. obliged 10 wal, The coming Of some more
paatahle game. Oar patience. however was
severely taxed; and after long delay We
were about 10 bag" hinpopoiamus. when
one of our attendants, perched in a tree about
half mile distant. began waving his blanket
This was signal that gsme was approaching
We Immediately drew into cover aud awaited
the coming Of the latter.
We were not delayed long, for presently
long column of animals from the elephant 10
the hoodoo, appeared in view, tro,iing 8; a
good pace to The river Their fanks were soon
presented to Us. and each, selecting his object,
fred. McColl shot n fue young buffalo COW,
whilst Captain Grant was equally successful
with hoo-doo, and several spears, cast by our
attendants stopped the career OF two different
animals of the herd.
At this lancture, however. occurred an un-
expected adventure that finished our sport, at
least for that day. | had sprung forward, i'm
mediately after firing, in order to obtain fair
shot at huge elephant that wanted 10 bring
down on account Of his immense tu>k<. GOT
the desired aim and pulled The trigger Of my
SSNS-G kAiN titttAtSilt "a VI bbitie ~
o wild cry of alarm. uttered by one of the
blacks, called MY attention. Glancing around,
my eye CHANGED to range up into the foliage OF
the tree beneath which Captain Grant and
myself had lain for several hours previous Nv
feelings may possibly be imagined, as beheld
an enormous boa constructor, whose hideous
head and neck, PROJECTING some distance into
view, showed that be was about TO make
fatal llf, IirprfiNp ofr,l- th
ward ME and as he flushed from bis position
like thuuderbolt, gave myself up. for ere aid
could reach ME, fold after fold OF the monster
would have crushed my strong frame into a
quivering pulp. fell, seemingly caught in
whirlwiDd OF dust, and strange, iniescrbable
scuffie ensued. In the midst Of this terrible
strife, | suddenly became conscious of the
presence of a second victim and even alter the
time he's elapsed since then, sill recolect
with what yividuesS the thought shot across
my mind, that this second victim was Captain
Grant, my noble companion. At last, after
being thus whrled about fer several seconds,
each second seeming TO be interminabe, there
enSued lnll, stiffness as of death. ana
opened my eyes. expecting to look upon those
unexplored landscapes which are seen only in
the country beyond the tomb. Instead Of that
| saw Captain Grant leveling his rife toward
me, while standing beside and behind bin,
were the blacks, in every conceivable attitude
of the most intense suspense.
In moment compreheuded all. The huge
serpent had struck a young buffalo COW, be-
tween which and him | had unluckily placed
myself at the moment of firing upon the ele-
phant A most singular good fortune had
attended me, however, for, instead of being
crushed into manged mass with the unforiu-
nate COW, nv left forearm had only been caught
in between the butfalos body and a 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 o. flesh, into which it had
been iammed, as it were, by the immense press.
ure oil the serpeuts body, that was like iron in
hardness. AS saw Grant about TO shoot O
terror took possession of me, for il be rerained.
l might possibly escape, after the boa released
his folds from the dead COW. But, should be
fire and strike the reptile, it would 10 its con
vulsions, crush or drag me TO pieces. Even as
the idea came to me, / behed Grant pause.
He appeared to fully 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, or even whis
pered at him, had | dared. But the boa =
head was reared within few feet of mine and
the wink of az eyelid would perh ps settle my
doom, so stared stared like dead man, at
Grant and at the blacks.
Presently the serpent began very gradually
to relax the folds, aud, after retightenlng them
several times as the crushed buffalo quivered.
be unwound one fold entirely. Then be paused.
The next iron ike band was the one which held
me prisoner; and as | felt 1t little By little,
little by little, unclaspng, my heart stood still
with hope and fear. Perhaps upon being freed,
the benumbed arm, uncontrolled by my will,
might fall from the cushion like bed 10 which
it lay. And such mishap might bring the
spare fold around my neck or chest, and then
farewell to the sources of the Nile. Oh how
hardly, how desperately, struggled TO com
mand myself | glanced at Grant, and saw
him handling bis rifle anxiously gancsd at
the negroes, and saw them still gazing as
though petrfed with astoni.hment glanced
at the serpent's loathsome head, and saw its
bright, deadly eyes, watching for the least sign
of life in its prey. Now, then, the reptile
loosened its fold on my arm hairs breadth
aud now, little more, until half an inch OF
space separated my arm and its mottled skin.
l could have whipped out my hand but dared
not take the risk Atoms of time dragged
themselves into ages, and minute seemed
eternity itself! The second hold was removed
entirely, aud the next one was easing. Should
dash away now, or wait a more favorable
moment? l decided upon the former; and,
with lightning speed, bounded away toward
Grant, the crack OF whose piece heard at the
same instant. For the first time in my life. |
was thoroughly overcome; and, sinking down,
| remained in q semi unconscious state for
several miHutes
/ When l fully recovered, Grant and the over
/ joyed negroes held me up, and pointed out the
boa, who was still writhing in his death agonies.
sbuddered as looked upon the effects of his
tremendous dying strength. For yards around
where be lay, grass and bushes and saplings,
and in fact every thing except the more fully
grown trees, were cut clean Of, as though they
had been trimmed By an immense scythe This
monster, when measured, was fftyoDe feet two
inches and half in extreme length, while
round the thickest portion Of bis body, the