The Press., 1883-10-25
4 FIGHT WITH A FIG SNAKE.

feathery palms that crowned the opposite ridge.
 .sWell, I think you must have heard most of mine by this time" said the per- son addressed, who, with his light linen jacket, brawny chest, and bluff sunburned face half buried in huge red beard, look ed as little like professor as hs could well do. However, don't think have ever told you of my adventure at Terra Gal iente, and if it serves as warning to my friend Smith, yonder, not to fall asleep at the wrong time, I shall not have suffered in vain. Three or four years ago was upon one of the forks of the upper Ama- zon, having gone there to try if couldn't manage to add to my collection specimen or two of rare bird that was said to haunt those parts. The house at which I was staying belonged to an old Brazilian friend of mine, who had plantation there, which he called Terra Caliente Now Terra Gal iente' means hot earth, and if he'd tried for week he couldn't have found better name for it. I'd seen India, and I'd seen the west coast of Africa, but compared with this place they were a mere ioke Every time went out cIme back like lump of molasses candy wrapped in paper and the night was every bit as bad as the day. Even the e-negroes seemed to feel it, and as for my host, Senor Valdez, he nev- CT stirred out from morning till night.
 "I could see that he thought me no end of fool for taking 80 much trouble about few birds, especially as didn't mean to eat them. However, he was very indul gent to my folly good fellow, and let mo have the use of his guns, mules, negroes, and what not, whenever liked to ask for them. But I soon saw that my only chance of getting what I wanted was to go alone, for the negroes kept up such & jabbering all the time that they frightened away ev- cry bird for hundred yards around. It was no use telling 'em to be quiet, for they couldn't do it if they tried so made up my mind to try my luck single-handed, and early one morning l took canoe and started up the river by myself.
 "You've been in tropical forests your selves, boys, so you can guess what & pret- ty concert I had to listen to just at first, from the roar of the jaguar down to the screeching of the parrots and the chatter ing of the monkeys. But as the sun mounted, and the day grew hotter, all this uproar died away ,and silence came down upon the whole forest that seemed to weigh on one like nightmare. Everything seemed to be asleep at once. The great banner-like leaves of the fan-palmsE and bananas dropped lazily on the hot, moist air, the thick brown water of the river looked as if it were standing quite still be- tween its low, muddy banks, the great mass of forest in the background was si- lent as death, and far overhead few white clouds were floating dreamily upon the warm, rich blue of the tropical sky as if they were sleeping too. If hadn't had to paddle against the stream, I almost think should have gone to sleep myself, but all at once caught sight of something that fetched me up broad awake in mo- ment
 sRight in front of me, not fifty yalds off, one of the very birds that I'd been hunting for so long in vain was sitting, on 8 projecting bough, as motionless as 8 statue. l pushed up the stream toward it, holding my breath, and moving my paddles as gingerly as if there was box of nitro-glycerine at the end of each, till I was quite sure of my shot, and then I let fly and brought it down, and had it snug in the boat almost before the echo of the shot had done ringing. Having got what I wanted, I drew in my paddles, and let my canoe float down stream again. But soon found myself getting so sleepy, with the heat and with the long pull I'd had, that I was afraid of mapping off altogether, and floating right past the house without knowing it. So ran my boat in under the shade of huge locust wood, jammed the bow firmly among the enormous reeds, which were higher than man on horse- back, and, without ever thinking what @ fearful risk I was running, fell asleep. "Then I had very queer dream. I dreamed that was an eastern king, sit ting on great high throne, and lion standing before me with bootjack be- tween his paws trying to pull my boots off. But MT. Lion naturally handled his instrument rather clumsily, and logged my foot to and fro so awkwardly that at last I awoke with start. I've had one or two pretty bad frights in my time, but nothing like that moment. The first thing I saw was the head of monstrous boa constructor (the rest of 1t hidden by the reeds), licking my foot, preparatory, as it instantly flashed upon me, to swallowing me whole. :
 "For an instant was so scared that couldn't even think, but just lay still and looked at the creature. But there was no time to be lost. I knew that if startled the snake it would attack me at once, so keeping my foot as still as I could, for my flesh was fairly creeping with disgust at the brutes slimy touch, felt for my gun.
 
 back against the side of the boat-that I could fire without getting up. I let fly, and hit it full in the head. Instantly ii reared up in the air with horrid sharp hiss, showing enough of its length to let me see what an enormous size it must be. Quick as lightning, seized the paddles, and shot down the stream like rocket, looking back just in time to see that the boa must be hard hit, for the blood was dropping fast from its head.
 "When got home with the news, old Valdez jumped up like boy, for he hated all big snakes mortally ever since one had killed his favorite horse some years before. He ordered out his negroes, got down his big Spanish trabaco (blunderbuss), which would throw half dozen at once, and away we went. It was easy to find the spot again, the trees under which Tn slept being the tallest anywhere near, and the serpent had left us traces enough in the crushed reeds and the red stains upon them. Suddenly one of the negroes jump ed back with balloo Instantly there came crash among the reeds, and thud like sail Tapping in the wind, and down went poor Sambo, squealing and roaring, with his shoulder blade broken by & whack of the snakes tail. This, however, was the old fellows last exploit, for while another negro smashed his tail with a club.