Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1881-08-26

meath 1t, they all rose in dense cloud,
filling the forest with their deep, solemn
hum. Defended by the smoke, Benu
had in moment or two more made q
double moose OF his smaller line round
the comb; and then, with few deft
cuts of his chopper, he cleaved of the
cone from the limb, and lowered IL I'M
broken TO tho ground. In three min
utes more he had walked down the tree,
much ms ho had walked up, and stood
among us, mono the worse for his ex-
plot, with the exception of few
stings.
Afterward, / repeatedly saw Fola,
ANIME, Motuleet and dozen others of
our native squad, climb up for nests in
the same way. 1t was their customary
method. Nothing would have induced
mo to attempt such n feat; nor could
any of our sailors be induced or cajoled
into attempting it.
A little way out from our huts, on the
further side, and just beyond the three
dardoe trees, there was rocky gully
or gulch, twenty-five or thirty feet in
depth, and from forty to fifty feet wide.
So steep were its sides, and so tangled
with creopers and vines. that to cross it
we should have been forced to made a
long detour, either below or above, had
| 1t not been for bridge, which nature
had provided in the shape of tree
which had fallen across the ravinc,
spanning it completely from bank to
bank. 1t had been very large, old
tree. The shattered top lay on the side
next our huts; and the ends were over
run by luxuriant wild grapevine,
loaded down with clusters of grapes,
the outer skins of which were covered
with hair But their flavor was deli
cious, though on first putting one in
your mouth, the hair gave you very
peculiar sensation. Winding through
| the top of the tree with the vine, there
was n beautiful crown-lly, displaying
its glorious festoons of blossoms side by
side with the strange hairy grape clus-
/ ssFs. so that most singular and sCf.
geous effect was produced. The trunk
of the tree, which was mt least four feet
in diameter, offered u perfectly safe
bridge across the gully; and for the first
! four days we were constantly going
back and forth on it. 1t had evidently
been used for this purpose, either by
men or wild animals. long before our
arrival. for the log was worn smooth,
NY many iOVb phop huu
passed and repassed on it.
Though still toleraby sound and
strong. the log was plainly hollow one;
and out near the middle of it there was
hole in the upper side. | noticed
and thought what an ugly thing it
would be TO step into it when crossing
with u load. 1t must have been not far
| g. l,,lf -, atn
| Several times, while walking over
this log, noticed IL strange, sickening
odor coming from it, which. though
faint, was very nauseating, and once,
when standing still for a moment,
1 looking down into the gully beneath
it, / saw some lunches of what ap-
peared to be bones wadded together.
There were a good many of these lying
there among the rank grass, and l con-
cluded that q number OF animals had
died. or been killed there, and that the
peculiar odor came from these.
The fourth evening we were there,
Just at sunset, when the natives were
coming from bee-hunting, each with
his great sack of mashed comb on his
head | suddenly heard a fearful outcry
in the direction of this gully.
"Some OF 'em have tumbled Off n
that log!" Myers, one of the sailors
with me, called out, and we all ran
from the hut where we were eating
supper, to see what had caused so dread
full u shrek.
On coming in sight of the log that
spanned the ravine, a strange specta-
Gle presented itself. Dangling from the
under side of the log, struggling and
shrieking. hung one of the natives-a
brother of Benu, named Oati. AT the
same instant perceived the folds of a
monstrous, mottled snake, rising in
great loops above the log, and heard a
native who was standing on the farther
end OF the log, screaming 9 U'tar te-
hal! U'tar lehai! (Great snake! Great
snake!) 1aSahu! tasahu" (Help!
helpD "Come forth, white chief, with
your fire gum"
Without waiting to get my gun, for
poor Oati's shrieks were awful to hear.
| seized large handspike lying near,
and dashing out on the log, delivered
two heavy blows upon the serpent 5
writhing folds, either of which | fee
certain would have broken an ox's
back. Feeling these, the monster
dropped Oati, whom it had seized by
the thigh in its mouth and was holding
up by main strength, and rearing it;
huge, llattened head six or seven feet
above the log, looked me full in the
. face, its great eyes dilated with fury and
its tongue licking the air with strange
Kissing sound.
1t was sight to startle the braves
! of men. | struck at its head and leapeC
backward on the log, but lost my foot
ing when close to tho bank of the gully
and, slipping off the tree-trunk, wen
tearing down through the vines to the
bottom. The fall did not hurt mi
/ much, but was snarled up in vines
, and it was some moments before | coulC
struggle out, or even clear away the
foliage sufficiently to see whether the
great snake was after me or not.
, could hea~ tremendous shouting an,
, noise, however, ana suon the reports o
I several guns.
, The moment got clear of the lia,,as
| / ran through the bushes and grass
8 down the bed of the gully; and here
| came upon Oati, crawling off on hi
hands and knees. His thigh was bleed
, ing profusely from several deep, ugly
{ looking holes, and his ankle was out O
joint from the fall
, There was so savage battle goin
on above us, that my shouts for assist
l ance were unnoticed. After several ei
S forts | succeeded in throwing Oati'
t ankle-joint hack into place; and then
binding up his leg as best 1 could,
helped him along to a place where
Y was possible for us to climb out.
. But altogether this had occupied fiji
e teen or twenty minutes; so that tn
fight which Myers and Benu. ANIME
. Fola and the rest were making with th
S U'idr Lehaf' was now for the most pal
r over. The shots had driven the sci
a pent back into the log; whence, az
g cording to Oati, it had darted its hea
I, out to seize him, as he walked acros,
D M jers was now Watching for it-iirin
: whenever it thrust its head out fror