The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-02-06

den her appalled, vision encountered the ugly
head of the serpent advancing toward her.
SHE screamed and tainted. We had arrived
on the spot moment later, and the reader
knows the rest. am s,e
! We told sherwe were English travellers,
that We could have no greater pleasure than
to befriend her, and that we would see her
home. This. we did. and, having received
the warmest thanks of herself and relatives.
we started to look again after the serpent.
We found our way to the opening among the
rocks by the same route as before. The
snake had left the top of the rock, and his
mass of coils were folded mostly at the south
side of the cleared space; while his brassy
head, with its muddy yet twinkling eyes, and
it's sharply forked tongue, lay just where the
girl had lain when reached her. #
The animal was either summing himself or
plotting more mischief in state of delibera-
tive repose- perhaps both In size this was
the largest specimen ever saw, and as large
as any description ever heard narrated.
And regarding the size of the reptiles as re-
lated by adventurers, yarn stretchers, and
even by the majority of enthusiastic .natur-
alists who have passable reputation for YER
acity, let mo advise the reader to allow for
several breadths in them, especially hair
breadths and those made out of the whole
cloth. @ e.t !,
The monster was in my excited fancy the
largest snake I had ever seen. 1t was, I. may
safely say with every regard for verify, as
large around as mans body, and this in his
aAte-breakfast condition! We stood looking
at him with distended eyes, as he lay in the
sun, his back in the light cleaning like bur
CEoIl> IL
OF small delay. Should we attract his atten-
ton, we might not be objectio to his pal
"Histiv' says Wilson: s.let's get in front Of
him if we CAM .9 Z ij.eE*z, IN, st5& 5,
$50 as to get q good chance at his eyes?''
eyes; creep after me-still He's in ad-
mirable position .A I'@''!11' .'2-'1 t,ss'.st
We found ourselves on the top, of the
rocks at the opposite side of the Enclosure.
The monster had not stirred. AS we raised
our rifles he began to twinkle his wicked
eyes at us, seeing us for the first time. Even
as we raised the hammers Of our weapons he
began to wriggle, preparatory to a motion
toward us. Evidently he thought he should
not be cheated out of his breakfast after all.
''Now, my boy, and look alive as soon as
you ire! One, two, thr-" @2Stf- -...
& Bang went both our pieces simultaneously.
The smoke rolled out. We ran along the
load till we could see the effects of our shots.
Both bullets seemed to have taken effect.
The creature had drawn back as if stunned,
with the blood flowing from his head, and
his eyes apparently demolished. It was only
for a moment, and then we'll, never before
had an idea of the ferocity of sudden motion !.
He drew his immense length together, and
then, like black thunderbolt, let himself
fly into the air, at the cloud Of smoke, with a
force that made the joints and folds of his
coat to snap. Then he fell back and CONS
menced to Iwrithe and twist, utteringa peou-
liar, vengeful hiss, and cry like an infants.
While we reloaded, rage and pain seemed
to get the mastery over him. He began to
strike himself with his fangs, thrash about
and raise a most frightful connection and "a
terrible dust. He grew every instant more
violent. He would raise himself almost
erect in the air, seemingly on the very tip Of
his tail, then fall suddenly, and twist ano
lite himself in his agony: ii. j
We could not get another shot till he be-
came more quiet. So we waited. -ssa-, Ia.
''See, he is trying to escape'' cried Viii
son. EE:is.jtZ J
Z 1t was even So He ratified at, headlong
speed down the mountain, over rocks, every
thlng. I'VE got on a tall rock, where we
could overlook the scene. stF,sfi:S
A few hundred yards down. the rocky de-
scent was precipice overhanging a denselE
.foliagged valley, at least 400 feet below. In
his present mad, blind course the serpent
must go over its edge!G}o2
We stood, the spectators of the coming
tragedy. And he did go over in our full
view. What fall was that! How many
tons weight L dare not guess. Il Down., down
he fell, coiled in a ball, a dense, black, wrig-
Cling mass. There was a small pond Of
stagnant pool in the valley, and it CHANGED to
be directly below our blind aelonaut. I
almost shut my eyes as the seconds passed
and the tremendous mass neared the ground.
The next instant there was splash that sent
the water high in huge jets and emptied the
pond, throwing out alligators, water snakes
and other aqueous monsters, and at the bot
tom, deep in the mud, lay the serpent. He
writhed still, but the water came in and fill
ed the pond and drowned him. DO faa7..