The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1888-03-21

Saltwater, Minn. Wednesday, March 21, 1888.

ground. 1t completely embodied me with
its great leathery wings and sank it's sharp
claws deep into my flesh. Then began an
indescribable contest. l fought with all the
fury of desperation. l grasped its cruel
claws and tore them from my flesh, but
while was lOosening one the other would
renew it's hold. l clutched it by the throat
and tried to choke it to death, but it beat me
with it's powerful wings and clawed my
flesh into shreds. l relinquished my hold
when felt its claws entering my heart, and
no sooner had | done so than 1t sank it's
sharp beak deep into my bowels where it
held fast in spite of my every effort to break
its hold. l was just Oh the point of giving
up the battle when, for the first time,
thought of my big pocket knife. Hope
sprang anew in my bosom. l got out the
knife and renewed the battle. We rolled
over and over upon the ground. l drove
the knife into its body time and time again,
but it would not loose its hold. Finally
succeeded in getting at it's throat and hung
on until had severed it's head form its body.
The head kept its hold in my vitalS. but the
body seemed to be as well off without a
head as with one. and continued the fight
with as much fury as ever. Next cut off
an arm and cast it away. but it seemed to
Sprang upon my back and fastened it's claw
in my flesh. And SO it was with the other
arm. Struggle as l would | could not free
myself, for every piece had fighting power
of its own, and the more pieces l made the
more had to contend with At last, when
almost exhausted, l turned my attention to
the head. which still held fast to my StOnl-
ach, and SummOning up all my remaining
strength drove the knife into it's brain, when
instantly it relaxed it's hold and fell to the
ground as did all the other parts.
And so ended the most desperate encOun-
ter of my life.
But my troubles were not ended yet.
While l was gazing down into a pool of
water to see if my hair had turned white.
heard my pursuers close upon me. 1 re-
newed my flight but now being very weak
/ could make little headway. They were
close upon me when l came in sight of a
river which [ saw l would have to swim
across or be taken. [ rushed to the brink
and was about to plunge in when, oh. hor-
rOr! l beheld sight that fairly froze the
marrow in my bones tried to draw back;
but too late. The soft oozey bank begun
giving way and down, down went in spite
Of my most frantic efforts, and was soon
struggling for life in the midst of millions
of snakes. lizards, and every other loath-
some reptile that ever lived. And the whole
mass was being carried along in sluggish
current OF greenish slime. Hundreds of
serpents cOiled and twisted themselves to-
gether in great squirming. rolling knots,
then unwOund and scattered and formed in
other knots. In the midst of all this, filled
with loathing and terror. 1 struggled for
life. and never did life seem more dear to
me than then. Once, as 1 sank beneath
the surface, and as thought for the last
time, | asked God to have mercy on my
soul, but "a still, small voice" told me it
was too late. Scores of cold, clammy SER
pents wound about my limbs, while lizards
wrggled themselves inside my clothes and
went chasing each other around my body.
AS l struggled. on with the loathsome tide
there suddenly arose above the surface a
huge monster. 1t was the most frightful
looking thing had ever seen. 1t looked
like great serpent bloated out of all pro-
portion with head like bulldogs, but
greatly exaggerated in every feature. 1t
gazed at me for while with it's great,
beared eyes, then slowly turned and floated
off down the stream. 1t had not gone far
when it began working itself into a great
rage and went rolling and plunging about
beating the slime into foam. l was ready
to sink from fear, for seemed to be the
object Of it's fury. Just then remembered
having revolver in my pocket. Why
hadn't l thought of it before? was a aues-
tion that had no time to consider. for just
as had succeeded in getting it out the
frlghtful monster with wide-Open mouth
and glaring eyes rushed towards me. took
hurried aim at its head, fired, and sank.