Connecticut western news., 1886-12-29

and sharp hiss suddenly curdled Dams young blood.
 He dared not utter another cry. Pos sibly he had not yet been looked on by the snake with any particular interest, though the moon rays just at the moment gave to its eyes a piercing brightness. It might be only lodging and not -revolting thought supper also that it sought. He could not leap to his door and unlock it and dash down the short flight of steps leading to the ground, as his first impulse prompt ed. The door was alongside the one window. His caat and utrowsers and ap- parel in general lay in pile across the chair before it.
 But not for a moment longer could he endure the situation. In fact, he had little chance to do so. The invader gave another hiss-so threatening that Dan realized his peril imminent. He leaped back toward the head of his bed, his feet sinking in the pillows. At the same time he recovered presence of mind sufficiently to cry out his loudest: "Help, help! Anybody-help me! Quick"
 At the sound of the boys alarm, Dams undaunted foe dropped completely to the pine floor, and then glided with lit- tie more than single motion to the bed. It crossed the edge of it, and then lay flat with yard of it's body along the crumbled white sheet its head turning right and left. Dan bounded from his unsteady retreat with mortified gasp. The bed was for only second between the scaly cannibal and the lad. The dash for the door that he made was an- ticipated by the snake. Dams foot struck against something that he felt was fold of that long, supple body. He fell directly forward, striking his head cruelty on the base-board. The python swept his coil about his body be- fore he knew it.
 Still crying out desperately for aid from those sound sleepers, only just within ear shot, Dan struck away the open jaws and struggled to free himself, as must have struggled long ago the priest Laocoon. But he lost ground every instant It was impossible to keep his footing. He fell sideways on the folds of his alert enemy. He felt the beginning of the awful constructive process upon his naked limbs. Never will he forget just how it seemed-that cold, slimy surface, its steelike impenetrability and resistance to his hands, although it must have lasted but couple of minutes. Could nothing deliver hima Would nobody save him-nothinga Would no soul hear his weakening voice? The open jaws assailed him again and again now, and he realized that coil was closing | just around his bare wrist, while he 1 plunged and pulled and struck out, without freeing himself from living knots that re-tied themselves and frightened.
 Just as he fell forward, ready to suc- cumb to the pressure of the reptile, and with his last cry, there came a quick scramble up the outer steps. The moon- light was hid for a second. A great dark body came bounding through the window, full atop of boy and serpent in final struggle.
 Danger had caught the sound of the battle afar off by the orchard wall. We'll was it that the in- telligent deg guessed that the best friend he had must be in some dire danger at this peaceful hour of night, and equally we'll that leaping was his grand resource on all occasions. The python felt Dangers teeth close fiercely upon its body. Partially relaxing its grip on Dan, it turned like an arrow upon Danger, hissing furiously. Danger sprang back, snapping and barking, hoarsely. Faithful, if frightened, thu dog charged upon the foe again ane again. The snake hurled itself on th' the great dog without releasing the bal unconscious boy. But the dog jumped about adroitly and bit and scratched
 and parked furiously.
 A faint low sound of calling, the tramp
 ling of human feet and then their rush
 ing up the little staircase outside. Mex
 to these came the bursting open of tn
 door and the thrush of men, or this stor
 might have, in spite of Danger, prove'
 too hidcous to tell. Peter Scott, wit
 Farmer Ben Jenkins, Moriarty from tn
 stables, and Mir. Debell, the schoe
 teacher, stood there, clutching thei
 scythes and stakes in consternatior Then, With a general exclamation "Clawbottle's snake!' they spraug to th rescue of Dan and Danger.
 To the risk of tn
 boys exposed body and soundnes of limb, the python was pounde and hacked into sections within fv minutes. Dan was dragged outside an lay there with Danger, who licked hi
 hands and seemed to regain his dignit much quicker. All the uprisen mem
 bers of the family, male and female, SUI ,, rounded them, in various stages of di
 traction and toilet. Poor Dan! He gt :, his wind back only to lose it in a dea | faint that lasted for an alarming time Rnt he came to himself anon, and the . was lodged for time, after some sort (
 a nauseous composing draught of MT U Ben's brewage, in the best bedroom. V Everyone regarded him as kind