The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-08-22
A THRILLING ENCOUNTER.
What william Bowersmith Got for Intrudinl
at a Private Snake Fight.
[From the Mount Vernon Ohio Banner.l

I.
From the Mount Vernon Ohio Banner.l
Mr.. William Bowersmith, farm
hand, while working in field near
where Owl creek empties into the Mo-
hican, met with an encounter q few days
ago that seldom falls to the let of man
Mr.. Bowersmith had taken an AK in his
hand to repair some fences bordering
on the streams above referred to. Pass
ing over little bayou formed by the
back water in the recent freshet, and
over which large sycamore had fallen,
he came to little unused piece OF
ground, deeply shaded by buckeyes and
the common larch, and grswn over by
tall grass and iron-weeds. Mr.. B. re-
paired some breaks in the fence and was
turning to go away, when his attention
was attracted by most peculiar sounds,
described as something like the kissing
of geese, mingled with dull thuds, like
striking on an old boot. Mr.. Bower
smith turned his eyes in the direction
of the sounds, and saw the grass and
weeds were in violent motion and lev
eled to the earth, as though smitten
with club. He approached the spot
cautiously, and by climbing upon a
stump close by his eyes met sight
never to be forgotten. Almost beneath
his feet, locked in deadly con-
flict, lay two immense serpents,
kissing, writhing and twisting,
while their crimson mouths
exuded blood and frotb. Their eyes
cleaned like rockets and protruded from
heir heads like beads. They would
Irvine around one another and lash the
ground with their tails and fastening
their fangs into each others necks would
shake with the ferocity of bulldogs 1t
soon became apparent that one of the
serpents was about exhausted, and,
while making desperate charge upon
its opponent, the other seized it near
the under part of the throat and settled
down upon the ground, where they lay
writhing for several minutes. At last
everything became quiet, and Mr..
Bowersmith crept from his position,
and, raising his AK, advanced to dis
patch the victor. He had scarcely
reached the spot when, with the rap
idity of lightning, the remaining SER
pent sprung upon him, and in an in
slant had so entwined itself about his
person that resistance was impossible,
and at each respiration the snake drew
his deadly coil closer and closer. Mr..
B. sunk upon the ground, his face
pierced in several places by the sharp
fangs of the reptile. How long
he remained in this position he
knows not, and in all probability
would not have been alive to-day had
not a neighbor-who, with common
grain-sickle in his hand, and who de-
sired to see Mr.. Bowersmith upon some
unimportant matter-followed him to
the spot and found him as above mar
rated. 1t was but the work of mo-
ment for the neighbor to. cut the body
of the serpent in twain with the sickle
and release the unfortunate man, who
was restored to consciousness by the
abundant application of water and the
imbibing of little spirits, which the
neighbor had in his possession. The
serpents proved to be two large rep
tiles of the species known as the black
snake. After Strengthening them out the
smaller one measured six feet four
inches from tip to tip, and the other
eight feet two inches, and was thought
to be some three inches in diameter.
Mr.. Bowersmith has now nearly recov.
cred, although his face is still swollen
from the poisonous effects of the SER
pent's fangs, and the shock to his
nervous system would have proved fatal
to less robust man.