, 1879-08-07
THE M1DSUMMER SERPENT.
lie Appears in tho Wyandotte Cave. 1ndi-
ma, IN nn itI0MInator, and In S..ut.

he shought vas worthy Of publication, md that
he would prefer 10 see It In bis fasoriso PAPER,
the Herald. A conversation with tho gentle
tnan elected the furts substantially presented
below,
Hiram Abner is yonng farmer who lives In
Crawford County near tte Walltiottc Cave, and
Ia about 80 ycars Of aye. Ee Ia very fond Of
hunting, and has the reputation of being the
best shot iu that section Of country.
IIe spends much Tina In the woods,
frequently going out carly III the u1orn-
lng and not reluruIug until late IN
tile ntrnt lie la nlso kotnsshl1sg Of a ralnrnl-
list, sitter his own faahtotl. aud baa passion for
exploring new ptsccs untl hunting euriosiitcs.
is great Wysn'"t's gaye. ear rh'e aa nla
dcrEul ch3rn fof him. nnd from 1nyhotd no han
hcen accustomed to foati through fts vast halls
and narrow a.nl crooked labrftnth& until he Is
tpuu lny other person living. Yet ao vAst a,d
complicated is the cnvc ihat although lla has
a,cnt mtirl, time iii It, there mauy sccrct
chambers ntItl winding reccsac& Which lu has
never yet explored, utid It wis thu inhibition Of
his !its to continue bis explorations unit! oil the
invulutloas Of tnls rruat cultural woudcr should
hare brcn threaded 0y Ills feet anil mapped o,lt
ny hls hand; ioF he never ctsteFcc thu cave With
out Ills familiar memorandum bno1s, IN wlifel,
nc TRACED with Ills pr,lcIl every now acquisition
OF explored terrt0rv.
One day las, week young Ahncr, being strong
II POSSESSED with desire tu ytstt the cave. not
e1uNg hts run upun Ills shoulder us,l started cut
MI lis solitary txeusstou. accompanied only bY
l!ls dog his faithful aud lnscpurable rompnilior.
Entering the cayc hu pushed on rapidly through
poat ua iacent to thu sgenc ot liz last cxplora.
tlulI, a1l'l which, as he lad good rcas0n 10 be-
ltcvr, had neycr been Ilsted hr thu fOut OF any
civilized man but him. lie had previously OBJ
served Il Harrow cntratre at this paiut, aearcpy
vide enough tor him u press Ills body through
stlrwa1s. hut Ind never yet vcnturcd into Il.
lie now wcccd himself bodily through, as,i
found h!snself In vast hall OF about ttr lncn-
uotcred this hull, Or chamber, casually, by The
aid Of htsdin lamp, he advanced TO tie further
end Ut 1t MID discovered narrow doorway Load
luz apDaluntly into another room. IN the auor
ruund hoic about n'ns iurhrs in, da.ne-
ter. into which he pecred curIously, luld-
lng his lamp to the mouth Of It. For
SONG reason, which did not occur
he could see but a few inches Into thu llolc. lie
Noticed. however, that II seemed worn abtfllt str
edges, as II some cTcaturu was IN tho .sa1it Of
going II mil Out. His dog snillcl around It,
vicinity. .Abucr picked up loose rock Of tho
Bfze of hia two flts, and dropped It Into thu
hole. Placing hts car to tt,e ground, he could
hear q fumbi!ng aud hollow sound for sunlo
6GGIHAAS Ak " ~ hGlI ltNN A4aA L1l.
tuous cllaune! In tic rocks, mil thrn suddenly
It ccased. Tie strange sound startle1 anl
awcd him for an instnni. but Abuer Is cool,
intrepid fellow, as M explorer must nce5s be,
/ feo. llu steppsd over tu lt9ls aud eutsrsd ,he
chamber beyond. His dog followed, With owl
dent reuctauce. sEsntfyug very plauly hs wish
to retreat. Abncr lad hardly time to pass to
smaller chamber with no outlet save the one BY
which they had entered, when suddenly Ills
limp tltckcrel nlsd went out. The truth hashvd
upon him In an Instant that lie had forgotten to
rt,ew tie Ui before }eavlnt. l.unlt. The dark
ness scenlc1 thick enough to cut With n knife,
and hia tlOg crourt,ed up TO hIni ~ II In tenr.
Abncr bcgan searching Ills puekets for matches
with which TO light himself out, when stsnngu
upon s.c dnrEncss. apparently procee1lh: from
t,e doorway, nllll stvndily Increasing In bright
ness. Turning biz eyes IN tl,at direction t,r
young explorer wab tfanstlxotl with amnzelnent
What he saw WIS nothing else ,I,an hugo SER
ueut reartilE Itself slowly nnl silcnty out ot tic
hole In tho hottnM OF the doorway. 1t was called
and t's head w1s raised about two feet abovc
red spot, which Ut tirsk gloa ed like dull Goa,
Of tire, but constantly Increased III size athl ill.,
tcnstty until It assumed yIyHe brightness. 1t
was evident TINT tl,e light wllch Illuminated
tncrcasyd With tiIu tncrcnslnE Intensity Of tile
spot. Tile raotn Was u0w filed with un iutensn
and yet strun:.e light, unlike ANYTHING Abncr lind
ever see'1 before. In It eycry object was ms dis
t!tcsly vistb!u ~ during vivid lEtE,nY aah.
Wien Abncr ifrst SIM this straMeu un1 fearful
sight ile sayg t!lat chill ot terror ,assct ovar
hun which saeincl fur Ill tnssRnt 10 frenzb the
very marrow III h!s bnes. il4nimost en,,k ~ tllu
ground In despair which deprived him ri tlu
puwrr ot movement; yet hta eyes Wcr0 rtyetAl
t1Ion t!c nlnl,stcr with iasctnuttDA tint held
tl1n spcll.lMund. With tint supernatural clrar-
ness Of vision md ,nclnosy which invariably
Abnrr toak III tin wllole situatul, with tllu pre-
clsion Of II ptotugsaul.. TEe Hespent. l!r says,
was Of tho size ot nan's log III Tic thcktst
part Of hls boly; mud ia head w1.s ahou: SIX
was black, with rough, corrugated skin, slad-
In. of tu dull yellow Oh tic belly Tln head
Was tnurked with yellow s}H,ts. 1lGN spot OF tllt
tAroat KEPT cnlargnE M and lnteus!tyltE unttl i
appeared to swell up and stand out llkv great
welt. From JUL red It grew brighter ut,.
brighter until It hccnmc utmost vivid ind sl,tu-
:;t,, nsrc %i. tho sora Of Inc Rainbow rhe
spnss on thu hcad took On n deeper MBlgBancy.
All thH time tho monster krpt coll!Mg himself
closer A1iti hassleF, yet ~ perfect sl,cnrc: Ills
ut viz tbe aa s,s II pso asnea III "a
Alter tho arst chill Of horror young Abner
had Instantly declded on his ulan Of bui.!s.
Hts faithful eun waa IN lis hand, loaIcd ~ liz
knsw' wst a, sood easre1 Of iSrss1xs4 g.. shet
Jog croHchtlig tarror-Atsicknn II his fG9t. With
thc coolness Ut m experienced hunter ho kept
hts eyes faxttned 'upou those Ut tlin t,lake,
kuowtn: that Il tley should bs withdrawn even
for uuv instant the fanEs Ut tho n1uster would
strike him. slowly ra.slilg Ills g!lt. he ctekel
It VI Gently ~ possible. but ths click oI lu l.xk
souttleu painfully loud in tl.ut slle,eo whish
nas liko tho hURl Ut DEATH 1t eauHed thr scr.
pant to accelerate i!s cu!lnE operations perccp-
lttlY, una YOUNG Abnrr suw ti!4i Il lsG WIS to
stflke tie first blow iirre MAS no tinla 10 lose.
Ito was uboat twenty feet iruM ll,u saake,
which appeared tu rcrOgizs the deadly PURPOSE
III lhc llautrs''s uloysll'onts, aud WA rapdy
reaching tito climax Ut Its preparations to spr!n::
upun ilu Ahnrr rslates It lis singular facI,
tliongh not without parallel. tiat ia tnls mo.
sncnt Of in,mucnt pafll, Hhtn tic
slightest mistaao would t,aYe bcen Ger.
tAil arath, Ae was perfectly, euol. an1
his slrrscs ~ stc4lY AZ eyer thes Wsre tu
hls l,fe. hut II was atrnsInu that could not
lan9 hayc been supu'rtrd. A. 1enytl wilh III
instantaneous yet sure uttn, ltIu hunter icysetl
LIS gun Ut ,lu shinlnr welt on tlIe snonster's
t.eci1 ault lrse. l'hu saunI uf TIL Gun rcycr.
berwted through tho ctialal4ers a.'1 reecsta. OF
tho suhtesyaucau cuvurn 'iku tue sepurt vt q
cannon. Thurs was ilstaut iaffsuesa aUa,, uiu
tu the strained car Of tbs hunter eaa tlsavy,