The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1865-03-23
Tafinagibnur aveahIg
CANT, Spekes Adventure with q
Boa Constructor,

path." khefe were hV "niiil"ie
there when we arrived, except
few hilpopotami, and we were
therefore, Obliged to wait the com
ing ofa more palatable game
Our patience, however, was So
verely taxed, and after q long de-
lay we were about TO "bag" mp
popolamus, when ono of our atten.
dnnts, porched ppon a tree noout
n half a mile distant began waving
his blanket. This was q sigma
that game was approaching. We
Immediately drew into cover and
awaited the coming OF the latter
We were not delayed long, for
presently column Of animals,
from the elephant 10 the hoo doc,
appcarcd in view, trotting at a
good pace to the river. Their
nanks were soon presented TO us,
and each selecting his object, fired.
Mccall shota fine young buffalo
COW. whilst Capt. Grant was equal
ly successful with hoo.doo, and
several spears cast by our atten-
dants stopped tho career of one or
two different animal Of the herd.
At this iuncture, however, oc
cnfiy, m iin.~pectcd n venture,
mat iinished the efort for that day.
! had eprung forward iunnedinlely
after firing, in order TO obtain n
fair shot at n huge elephant that
| wanted to brine de.-.-> -. . ~aaount
of his immense tusls. | got the
desired aim, and pulled the trig.
ger cf tho second barrel. AT the
moment OF my doing so, wild cry
OF alarm, uttered by one of the
blachs, called my attention.
Glancing lround. my eve chan.
ccd TO range up in the foliage or
tho tree beneath which Capt.
Grant and myself had lain for
several hours previous.
Ny feelings may possibly be
imagined rs beheld an enormous
loa constructor, whose hidoous
head and neck projected somo dis.
tance into view, showing he was
about 10 mnko y fatal spring
His direction was certainly toward
me, and as he flashed from his po-
sitieu like q thunderbolt, | gave
mysolfup, for ere aid could have
reached me fold after fold Of the
monster wo'd have crushed my
strong frame into a quiverlng
pulp. llcll, seemingly caught in
n whirlwind of dust, and n strange,
indescribabls struggle ensucd. In
the midst of this terrible strife. Il
suddenly became conscious Of tho
presence Of another victim, and
even after tho time that has claps-
cd since then, | still recollcct with
what vividncss the thought shot
across my mind that this second
victim was Capt Grant, my noble
companion. At last, after thus
- ,l'hirled about for several sec.
onuR, euch sccOnu evvuing 10 ne
interminable, thcre cnsued n lull,
n stiffness as ofdeath, and | open.
cd my eyes expecting to look upon
those unoxplored landscapes which
are seen only in tho country be
yond the tomb. Instead of that Il
saw Capt, Grant, levnlling his
rifle toward me, while standing
beside and bohind him wero tho
blacks in every conceivable atti-
tude of the most intense suspense.
In u moment | oomprehendod
all. Tho hugo serpent hal struck
II young buffalo COW, between
which him and | had unluckily
placed myself Mt the moment Of
firing upon the elephant. A most
singular good fortune had attend.
ed me. however, for instead of be
ing crushed into a mingled mass
with tho unfortunate COW, my left
fore arm had only been caught in |
between the buiialo's body and
one single fold of tho constructor.
The limb laid Just in front of the
shoulder at tho roof of the neck
and TINS had q soft bed Of flesh.
into which It was iammed rs itI
were, by the immense pressure of
the serpent's body that was iron.
like in hsrdnoss.
As saw Grant about TO shoot,
terror took possession of me, for
If he refrained l might possibly |
escape, after the boa released the
folds from the dead COW. But
should he fire and strike the rep |
tile, ID would in its commissions.
crush or drag me TO pieces
Even rs tho idea came to mo | be.
held Grant pause. He could see
how ! was situated, that | was still
living, and that my delivery DO
pended on the will of the constict.
or. We could see every limo on
each others face, so close were
we, aud | would ha ve shouted or
spoken, or even whispered to him
had | dared, but tho boa's headI
was within a few inches of mine,
and the wink of an eye.lid would,
perhaps, settle my doom, so star
ed Ikea dead man at Grant and
the blacks. y
Presently the serpent began To-
relax his folds, and after re e.tieht.
ening them several times, as the
crushed buffalo quivered, he un.
wound one fold entirely. Then
he paused. The next iron.like
band was the one that held the
prisoner, and felt it little by lit.
tie unclasping, my heart stood still
with hope and fear. Perhaps