The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-06
INA SNAKES THROAT.
A Story Of Thrilling Adventure OF
the Amazon.


south shore OF the Amazon, as nearly a. hL.sU
river can be said to have any shore, Murilla and
] proceeded to make daily excursions into the
forest IN all directions, usually leaving two of
the boatmen in charge of the camp and taking
the other two along TO carry supplies The
concession proved TO be most magnificent
forest. Mahogany trees were there by the
thousand. needing but the woodman's axe and
transportation down the river to fetch $50
pounds apiece. The tract was interested by
creeks in ali directions, along which timber
might readily be tloated to the river.
Ii was some ten days after our arrival at the
concession when / took MUrilla with me for
short expedition into the forest 1t was q feast
day with the Indians, and as we INTENDED to
return before evening, we left them all four in
camp, merely providing ourselves with round
of bareback apiece and some cold yenison for
lunch At noon. where we sat down 10 eat our
lunch Murilla discovered near by a clump Of
low bushes bearing Z gciiowish berry, This
fruit ifc professeG 10 recognize as familiar
variety which he had often eaten down toward
the coast, though he had never seen any before
SO Ear 10 the interior. After testing them he
pronounced them delicious. but OF somewhat
different favor TO those on the east coast.
We both ate of the berries literally without
the least suspicion Of injurious effects, ! finding
them rs Murilla declared, delicious. Ten min
utes after eating the first berry, however, both
Of Us became thrilled with a strange eXhilara-
AlDUs we became alDoSt uGAlEluuslg udPpNs
huriila bursting out IN The Portuguese dog
Eerel with boisterous hilarity, as though intox-
icated with absinthe. As for myself, my whole
nervous system tingled with pleasing excite
meHt TO The very fngeT-tips. ] was fairly in
taxicated I have a vague recollection of max
ing ludcFous resolve to check my own wild
impulse 10 sing, by nodding my head in Tyth-
mic approval Of Murilla's vocal outburst; Of
seeing MurillsFoll over on the ground, and i'm
uledi7t5ii; s55s sls. his example Then al
became a blank.
This happened aboud midday. Not until
lssFig sunset on the following day did c0nsci-
ousness again slowly commence TO assert itself.
i then awOke-if 3 foggy idea of trying to ex-
tricate ones self from a hideous nightmare can
be called an awakening-wi horrible SEN
ezti0n of helPiessness. lGseemed as though the
lower half of my body was numbed and par
alyzed by heavy pressure from all directions.
A vague impression that my lower limbs were
dead and ali the blood forced out of them into
the upper part Of my body, erept over me. My
eyes seemed starting from their sockets almost,
q singing was ia my ears. and my breath came
IN labOred pants. My throat was hot and dry
with q raging thirst. ] was not yet fully re-
turned TO my senses. Like one dragged with
eblorofOrm, or person freezing 10 death. my
natural inclination WAS to LET things take their
course. Ii seemed useless 10 think of trying 10
Rxtricate myself from the vise-llke embrace
that appeared to clutch me as in a rubber
79ould at terrible tension from the waist down.
Ii was only a nightmare. which would pass
away IN q little while. Aud yet IL couldn't be
anightmare for l was dimly conscious of being
awake after ALL and not asleep and dreaming.
Realizing this, by q supreme effort OF the will
j aroused my Well-nigh dormant faculties 10 a
sense that something terrible was the matter.
The numbness had moi reached my arms and /
tried 20 raise myself up--I was lying face down
l.. IL
ward several feet along the ground. hOrrlhed
and beWildered. I raised myself up with fran
tic effort, sufficient to look toward my help
less extremity. My God. I was half GngulTets
IN the throat Of a monster boa. This hideous
reptile finding nc lying at length on the ground
EtUPefed, had deliberately set about swallow
Ing me.
Now / was thoroughly aroused, the sensation
was as though SOME powerful suction pump
were employed in dragging me Temorselessly
GOWN, down, down, inch by inch, into the
shiny depths Of my devOurers stomach. I was
suffering no physical pain to speak Of; the
dreadful pressure on the lower half Of the body
created only numbuess there; above was a sense
Of oPpFessiFeness, but there was an utter alb
sence Of acute pain.
An indescribably-s odor also ema-
mated from the m0nstr0us reptile that was leis-
zsaly working me down his throat 1t was the
breath FROM the foul and shiny stomach that
already ent0mbed my feet and legs. and would
ere long close over nay head. Maddened at the
loatbsome prospect, gave horTthed scream
Of agony, and clutching franticalIy az the
ground / struggled frantically to release my
self from the deadly embrace Of the serpent's
throat.
As well might some modern Canute try to
stay the tidal waves resistless course, as | TO
struggle for freedom from that living wise
stretched Ike rubber about every hair-breadth
Of what il engHlfed. As I struggled / could
feel the hooked fangs Of my devourer clutch
the buckskin jacket / was wearing, aud hold
me ike pair Of hungry nippeTs, while the
horrible suction pump below seemed to be
worked with anxious energy.
As soon rs i realized the utter hopelessness Of
accomplishing anything by struggling, a COM
plete Change came over me. / became as calm
and collected as il there was nothing to be
alarmed al IN my position. So cool and philo-
sopbical did 1 begin to review the situation
that / concluded / must have suddenly. gone
mad.
III there was the slightest hope Of escape.
argued with myself, it would be In keeping my
presence Of mind and remaining perfectly quiet
Every struggle ] might make TO get loose
would land me an inch further down in the
depths of the boa's slippery tomb. by bringing
into play the hooked fangs, and arousing the
activity Of that horrible suction force within
From my school boy recolIections Of natural
history came the conclusion that my deyourer
must have been a good q hours engulfnP me
up TO the waist, and that By Offering merely
passive resistance ] might keep my head and
shoulders outside as long as life remained.
From the time ] discovered myself to be in the
b0ais lethiferous grip until the above sensible
resolve was arrived at could hardly have been
three minutes.
For the first time since recovering conscious
ness my thoughts now found opportunity to
wander from my own sensations, and my first
thought was Of MuriIla. What had become OF
him2 Was lie, too, being devoured, or was he
already destroyed2 A CLEAN of hope shot
thFeagh NY brain sttbe query. Perhaps be is
Rnharmed. and when he RECEIVERS from the stu
pefying effects OF the berries viii be able 10
render me assistance.
In my anxiety to see If Murilla were any
where around, / tried to look about me- Tie
movement disturbed the boa, and again be
dragged me backward two or three feet. and
again the pressure from below exerted itself
anew 70 try and drag me in. So long as I re.
manned perfectly quiet the boa seemed content
TO LET nature take its course, and TO remain
in q Eemi-cOTEat9se condition. He seemed Il
realize that be had undertaken a tremendous
job and one that required a great deal Of pa
tience The least movement on my part, how
ever, he would interpret at once into an effor
Of his prey 70 escape, and would reciprocate by
trying 10 swallow me.
Hours that the horror IF my r,oeifion saay,e;