Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-10-09
SOME SNAKE.

Editor Telegram MUD HoIE
NEAR ALTOONA, Sept 29.-In read.
ing your very highly esteemed
paper l noticed very remarkable
snake stories, which induces me 10
come forward and give to the ever.
anxious and waiting public the
experience of a human person thirty.
two hours in the bowels of mon.
strous reptile. While hunting IN
the wild and romantic, yet dismal
gorges so famous for hairbreadth
escapes from almost all kinds of
animals in the Allegheny mountains.
being fully equipped to the teeth.
sailed forth upon the mission which
proved so terrible. After travelling
for some hours over hills aud rocks
and through bush and swamps | ar.
rived at beautiful little stream of
water. Being different from the
majority of hunters l had not the
usual supply with me, l filed my
lineup and concluded to refresh the
inner man, little dreaming | would
go so near refreshing the inner
snake. Turning around at short
distance spied beautiful moss.
covered log, upon which | set astride.
Having shortly before heard the
familiar cry of the famous mountain
cat, l placed my trusty rifle close by
my side and my Ratchet in front
and proceeded to devour my lunch,
which | did very eagerly and with.
out replacing my articles in my
game bag. | picked DIP my Ratchet
and thinking what a keen edge it
had / at once concluded to try it
and raised my arm and with my
whole strength drove it into the log
rs l supposed. Alas for mans cur.
iosity! No sooner had | struck the
supposed log than found myself
| flying at the rate of mile a minute.
What had taken for log was not
a log, but a huge reptile and when
struck it with my Ratchet IRON pain
or fright it gave one lurch and up
went its back, and horrors of hor.
rors, when l landed what did my
eyes behold but the monster with
mouth open! 1t seemed to me that
the spring was eight or ten feet. But
for my dog | might have escaped
what was so soon to befall me, but
he made dive at the monsters
tongue and it, by way OF retaliation,
made dive at me and swallowed
me! The rest can as well be imagin.
ed as described, but Twas not alone,
for my dog was with me, But what
good was the dog to me, you sayg To
go for my gum No, but | made
him understand that | wanted my
hunting knife and away he flew and
actually ran out of the monsters
mouth. Whilst he was hunting the
knife, which had been thrown away,
l was feeling rather lonely. But all
things have an end, and in came the
dog, knife in mouth. Now to cut
my way out, it struck me was all |
had to do. / concluded that would
only place me in new danger, so
had to hunt some vital spot whereby
| would end his snakeship's career
At it l went and proceeded to cut
and slash right and left for abOnt
half an hour when all at once real.
lied calm settling over his entire
form. | proceeded to cut an outlet
and crawled out. / called my dog,
but no dog came. Then | concluded
to solve the mystery, when found
him IN mortal combat with u wild.
cat which had been swallowed as !
had been, but escaped my notice. !
proceeded to dispatch his eatship, but
my poor dog was morally wounded
and died in a few minutes. When |
came to ascertain my whereabouts !
discovered that | had been carried
about 100 miles from where | sit
down to eat my lunch. Bot having
all the exercise | wished for, col.
cluded to return home. After travel.
ing two days and one night by land
and five by water | arrived at home
without further harm than the loss OF
both legs and one arm.
Mr.. Editor, / will not enter suit for
damages if You do not like to pnb.
lish my article, ii you are doubtful
about the truth of this mans expert
ence as it is just the same as he told
to me and to other persons and he's
a man noted for telling true stories.
The Mountain City does not need
to feel ashamed of its contribution
to the snake literature of the period,
but can probably occupy front
pew. Next i-HdrrisbuYg Telegram.