The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-10
A Mars Fight with q Snake.

Mr.William Bowersmith, farm hand,
while working in a field near where owl
creek empties into the Mohican. met with
an encounter few d., ago that seldom
falls to the lot of man. Mr.. Bowersmlth
had taken an ak in his hand to repair
some fences bordering on the streams re-
ferred to-. Passing over u little bayou
formed by the back water in the recent
freshet, and over which large sycamore
had fallen, he came to a little unused
pirce of ground, deeply shaded by buck
ewes and the common larch, and grown
over by tall grass and iron-weeds. Mr.. B.:
repaired some breaks in the fence and
was turning to 90 away, when his atten-
tion was attracted by most peculiar
sounds, described as something like the
Kissing of geese, mingled with dull thuds,
like striking on an old boot. MIR. Bower.
smith turned his eyes in the direction OF
the sounds and saw the grass and weeds
were in violent motion and leve.2e ed to the
earth, as though smitten with club. He
approached the spot cautiously; ana by
climbing upon stump close by his eyes
met a sight never to be forgotten; Al
most beneath his feet, locked in deadly
conflict, lay two immense serpents, mss
ing. writhing and twisting, while their
crimson mouths exuded blood and troth.
Their ewes cleaned like rockets and pro-
truded from their heads like beads. they
would twine around one another and lash
the ground with their tails, and, fastening
their fangs into each others neck. would
shake with the ferocity of bulldogs. 1t
soon became apparent that one OF the ger
nents was about exhausted. and, while
making a desperate charge upon its OPP
nonent- the other seized it near the under
mart of the throat and settled down upon
The ground, where they lay writhing for
several minutes. At last everything be.
came quiet, and Mr.. Bowersmith crept
from his position, and, raising his axe,
advanced TO dispatch the victor. He had
scarcely reached the spot when. with the
rapidity OF lightning, the remaining SER
pent sprang upon him. and in an instant
had so entwined itself about his person
that resistance was impossible, and at
each respiration the snake drew his dead
" coil closer and closer. Mr.. B. sank
upon the ground. his face pierced in sew
eral places by the sharp fangs of the rep
tile. How long he remained in this po-
sition he knows not, and in all probable.
ity would not have been alive to-day had
not a neighbor-who. with = common
grain sickle in his hand, and who desired
to see Mr.. Bowersmith upon some I'M
portant matter-followed him to the spot
and found him as above narrated. ltwas
but the work of moment for the neigh
Dor to cut the body of the serpent in
twain and release the unfortunate man,
who was restored to consciousness by the
abundant application of water and the
imbibing of little spirits which the
ncighbor had in his possession. The SER
pcnts proved to be two large reptiles OF
the species known rs 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.. Bowcrsmith has
now nearly recovered, although his face
is still swollen from the poisonous eticc
OF the Srrpcnt's fangs, and the shock to
his nervous system would have proved
fatal to Il less robust man.-M. Fc,no,l
(Ohio) Bn,lncr.