The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1877-08-21
a PYTHON PERIL,

| west coast of Africa.
Leaning over the bulwarks was the
| lieutenant, a brOad-snouldered young
fellow OF thirty, whose open face wore a
gloomy expression, as his eyes wan.
dered over The beautiful country before
him without seeming to take it in. This
part OF the coast was thIckly wooded,
and glorious with that rich tropical
undergo owlh so wonderful to the eyes OF
the natives of temperate climes. At any
other time Charles West would have rev.
eled in the scene; but now his mind
was full OF the Captains daugh ter,
Alice.
She had been taken on board at Mon
ravia, where she had been spending some
months with an uncle, who was a mis-.
Sionary; and during this short time she
had won every heart in the place. Ali
the blacks in the town had assembled on
the shore to bid her farewell; and men,
women, and children united in sObbing
and weeping as she said good-by. She
had made herself everywhere beloved by
her gentleness and good nature; and the
regret OF these simple and ignorant peo-
pie at losing her had great feet on The
young Lieutenant.
The sailors already would have done
anything for her, thinking themselves
we'll repaid when she gave them a smile
and word OF thanks for any service.
But to West she was rather distant, or
he fancied SO; and this was the cause OF
mis- moody abstraction as he leaned over
the vessels side.
AS his eyes rested on tree not far
from him, something moving in it ar
rested his attention, aud he became
aware that monstrous python was
hanging in the branches, its eyes fixed
on the vessel. The creature must have
been between thirty and forty feet long,
and its body was covered with scales
that glittered in the SUMS rays as they
lell on them through the foliage.
An Involuntary Shudder ran through
the young mans framG--not that he was
a coward; but there was something SO
repulsiye to him in anything, large or
small, in the shape OF snake. AS he
looked, the head was projected toward
him, and the furked tongue darted out.
In spite of the distance between them,
ne shrauk back, and then, turning,
called the attention OF some Of the sail
ors to the great reptile, just before it un-
wound it's massive coils, and quickly
disappeared in the thick underwood.
Tue thought struck him that if the SER
pent should return at night, it. mi gAt be
| they were aware of it. II woulu be BET
ter 10 follow it now, and Kill it by broad
daylight, than to risk being attacked
and taken by surprise. A thought OF
| Alice, and the danger to her should that
uappen, caused him to act upon that
idea, and ask permission OF the captain
TO 20 ashore. 1t was readily granted,
wheu he explained the reason of his
| wish; SO, accompanied by tive OF the
sailors, all armed to the teeth, he went
| ashore.
Gong in the direction which he fam
cied tue python mad taken, they We're
| soon in the midst of a thick forest OF
immense trees, among which were many
fine specimens of the wonderful baobab
tree, It's immense branches spreading up
to the sky, aud sometimes shutting OUT
every ray of the sun. Ii was a relief to
yet away from the scorching brightness
OF the beach, and would have been cool
and pleasant under the trees, ouly that
the denseness Of the growth shut out
even the refreshing breeze which came
OF the sea.
Being excited by the prospect Of lit.
lie danger, or perhaps great deal, they
lev pass unnOllceu The first symptoms oil
la storm; but when the wind, rising
IQuickly, began 10 move through the tree
tops, W est gave the order Tor an imme-
| diate return to the ship. The quickly
growing darkness rendered this order
difficult to obey, for the men could not
| tind out which way tnev had cume; and
though it was Sin the afternoon,i il quick
| ly became as dark as night in the lvrcst
| wine The air was tutl Vi wierd noises;
the roaring Of the blast, the groanng OF
| the trees as they bent under its powers,
and now anu tn IN noise like thunder.
| as some mighty monarch or the woods,
possibly hundreds of years old, was
oVertDrOWn by the violence Of the gale.
BY degrees, however, the tumut SUI
sided, light again penetrated through
.ne foliage, and tne hurricane passed off
as qlickly as it had come.
| IL was only after long hours of walk
ing, and when they were tired cut, that
| the sea once more spread itself out BE-
| fore them, heaVing still, and showing Il
| thousand reflections Of rose color from
| he Sunset-Slnled clouds overhead. The
sun almost touched the horizon, and.
lired though he was, Lieu, enanL West
could not but stop to admire with won
der. and something OF awe. IL is only
with a stormy sky that the wonderful
sunsets of those laLltudes are to be seen,
as in calm weather the sky is almost in
yarlably cloudless. The young man's
eve swept The surface OF the ocean some-
what anXiousiy for The cutler, but where
she mad been anchored there was nothing
to be seen but the gradually subsiuing
waves.
"rhere she is, sir" exclaimed one OF
the men suddenly, as he pointed to
where, neatly mile from them, the H.
tie vessel was aground, her bowsprit
hlr
yards entangled among the branches of
The trees.
They soon reached her, and found that
the storm had not done her any serious
damage. The captain had had TWO tents
set up on the beach-one tor the sailors,
and the other Tor his daughter, that she
might be in shelter until the Yesse4
could BE- set atl Jat. Alice stood by her
father pale and agitated, ami as Wesps
glance noted it, the captain said:
"She was afraid you were lost, Char
ley, or that the snake had made an end
OF you," and then moved off TO give some
order to The sailors.
This remark mad dispelled the girls
pallor, and she woulu have followed
him, bending her head to conceal her
bushes from the lieutenant, when the
la Aer arrested her.
II am deeply grieved," he began, in
low voice, 80 have caused you so much
alarm"
oh