The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-02-06
A Big Snake Story .
New York Mercury.|

One morning my friend Wilson and /
found ourselves amid wild, but stupendous
piece of Mexican scenery. All on sudden
we we're startled by scream-a shrek that
could come from none but the throat of
frightened woman--and we stood still, so
full of terror and wild alarm had been the
cry. There was in front of us rock. On
one side led path, on the other the same
From thezother side of this barrier seemed
to come the cry. All was stiffness, and we
dashed each on either side Of the rocks.
I arrived first on the spot, cleared space
hemmed in by roc S, and my eyes, beheld
what till then had never SO expanded their
sockets with horror. On the ground beside
a bowlder, against which one exquisite bare
arm, clasped with a jeweled bracelet, was
stretched, lay young, Mexican, girl, of as
q tonishing loneliness, her wonderful beauty
yelled by "a mass of black, wavy hair, that
fell in, a perfect cloud to her feet. She lay
as still and white as one dead on the solid
rock. r. *% ,,.- q;
e Horror froze me at the next sight. At the
opposite side of the Enclosure, and fifty feet
away, was one of the largest serpents ever
saw. He was wriggling down from the rock,
and his filthy head was already slowly ap-
-
IL was so engrossed with the horrid scene
that did not notice Wilson, who had sud-
denly emerged from the other entrance to the
spot, and had started back with loud excla-
nation, utterly overcome by what he beheld.
The monstrous serpent which at once
took for a species of anaconda was slowly
extending its Shiny length towards his prey,
his neck seeming to stretch like mass of
rubber out of the frightful folds on the rock;
for the head and neck elongated, yet the hor-
rible coil did not decrease. His short forked
tongue darted forth vengefully, and his wick
ed dull eyes snapped with diabolical eager
ness, yet he steadily came on. 80 ~ "
Serpent and girl were hardly sixteen yards
apart, and the girl still lay as 7lifeless to- all
appearances, as if the vital spark had fled.
"For heavens sake, save her--drag her
away" yelled Wilson. ,':'},
In his excitement he drew his revolver, and
fired shot at the head of the snake, which
had no effect. - '~'-' - ~.
The sound of his voice and the crack Of
the shot brought me to my senses, for was
standing like one paralyzed.> With spring
or two stood between the serpent and the
girl. the attention of the former luckily a
trife distracted by;:Wilson's rash shot. l
acted quickly, as the case seemed desperate
I A thrill seemed to go to my fin gers end as
/ touched the form Of the girl Sc was won
drously beautiful; yet she lay as 1motionless,
every moulded contour of her figure in re-
pose, white and rigid, classic as "a marble
statue Of innocence ITSELF rv1z ;,ig.,..7;s.
took the inanimate form of the girl in
my arms, and rushed away from the NAV, of
the huge snake. In my excitement I could
mr. ho1 ,o% Fr;<
of the huge serpent. Few would willingly
be near such an object, and whether by intu-
ition OF. superstition know not, there SEEM
ed to be a fell fascination, horrible, but IRE
sistable, in the creatures presence. rushed
past Wilson with my burden. A torrent was
at hand. I laid my frail burden on q lnossy
bed, while Wilson came to the spot oppor-
timely, bringing with him a hatful of cold
water. -5#+ 1870
A gentle application of this the first time
produced no effect. "A second and third.
more violent, seemed fruitless. She lay like
one dead, we became alarmed. Was she
really dead? We bore her to the boiling tor
rent, and poured the icy water on her pure
forehead. All of sudden she seemed to
return to the possession of her senses. She
started up, stared at MS in alright, gazed
about her, and then seemed to be trying to
recall to memory the cause Of all that had
befallen her. Alliat once she clapped her
hands to her face and with q wild shrek of
terror she fell into my arms, crying out:
&t'tPor, Dios, le anacondar' f -, s.
I Then she tainted again: The frightful en-
counter with the serpent had absolutely
crazed the poor girl. Water was again ap-
piled, and this timeyshei awoke with less diff
hculty than before, We watched the dark
eyes unfold with no little apprehension. She
regarded us with the same vacant stare i
said as soothingly as I'could: 3tst h5s
| "Don,t fear, Senorita, you are among
| friends {t,4 | yIE &. y
She seemed to gather her senses and take
courage: z. 4 LEI - E45... sf y.sta
After little while she was enabled to ex-
plain torus that she lived in the heighborhood
with her father and family, and that she had
strolled out among the mountains further
than usual on the present occasion, that she
had sat down to rest, and that all of sud