Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-05-31

DSil ~ ehc Soioiei ielC StTanSciy cNnilcr-
ated, and burst out into n rollickly COL
leSc song with the boisterous hi!arlty OF
| one intoxicated with absinthe.
His whole nervous system, even to his
| finger-tips, tingled with pleasing excite
mcnt. He had vague recollection of
| making u resolve to check his ludricous
outburst; Of seeing Jose glide away into
the forest with his rifle over his shoulder.
and look of malignant hatred on his
swarthy face; of struggling to his feet
and calling to the Indian to come back
and then lie rolled upon the ground and
all became blank.
Not until the following day did con-
seriousness begin to slowly assert itsolf.
He then awokc, with horrible sensation
Of hclplcssness
The lower half of his body was
numbed and paralyzed by terrible
gradually constructing power from all
directions.
His limbs appeared dead, and ali the
blood forced out of them into the upper
part of his body. His eyes seemed start
ing from their sockets there was a sing.
ing IN his ears, and he breathcd with
great difficulty.
His throat was hot and dry, and he
was consumed with o raging thirst.
lie was lying face downward, and hay.
ing determined to throw off the stupor.
he raised his hands to his head.
Instantly he was dragged ba kward
several feet along the ground.
. Horriied and bewildercd, he made a
frantic effort, raised himself on his el.
bows and looked about him.
lie was half engulfed in the throat of
monster boa constructor,
The reptile had begun to swallow him
without first crushing him within its
coils, as is usually the case.
When the serpent moved, an indcscrib.
ably sickening odor arose, and almost
stupeied the imprisoned man.
Maddcned at The loathsomc prosncct,
the Colonel gave Il Mortified scream of
agony, and clutching frant;cally at the
ground, struggled to release himself from
the deadly embrace of the serpents
throat
But the teeth of his devourer were
fastened in his buckskin coat, and held
him like pair of hungry nippcrs, while
the horrible suction pump below was
worked with renewed energy.
The Colonel ceased his struggles, and
looked about anXiously for Jose.
"What has become OF him! Was he.
too, being dcvourcd, Oh WIS he already
destroycd!'
While he was pulling over these
speculations, he suddenly remembered
that just before cons seriousness left him,
the Indian had disappeared in the forest,
and then, like II flash, he recollccted the
fellows conference with Mendoza, and
lie realized that he had been left to
perish.
At the terrible thought, he made an
other effort to escape.
The movement disturbed the boa, and
again 1T dragged him backward two or
three feet, and again the constructing
suction from below began.
so long as he kept perfectly quiet the
serpent seemed content to let matters
take their course, and to remain in II
condition.
Hours passed, that the horror of his
position seemed to lcngthcn into days.
He put down his left hand, to feel the
taut rim Of the boa constructors Jaws.
They were three inches higher up his
body than when he first regained con-
seriousness
The excitement thro gh which he had
passed had exhausted his emotions, but
this dire discovery awakened them.
lie tried to form some plan Of putting
an end to his existence, but his brain was
no longer equal to the concentration of n
definite idea. He was beyond all power
of action.
Once he fame cd that he heard the cry
of some animal or human being near by,
but he was too far gone to pay much at
tention.
at last all seemed to be over with him.
1t was as though the darkness of night
had gradually closed over him, the roar
ing noise in his ears continued for awhile
and then all was silent.
lie had sunk into the unconsciousness
of complete exhaustion.
II remembered no more" said the
Colonel, until l came to nv senses
again, and found myself lying en- luxu-
rious bed, in cool, pleasant room"
"fhc first face that saw as l OPENED
my eyes, was that of the lady who after
ward became my wife. At the time I
thought her an angel from heaven, and
well, she is as near one as mortal can
be.
II was very weak, and it was several
days before fully recovered. Then she
told me the story Of my rescue.
She is extremely fond of scientific pur
suits, and was botanizing in the forest,
accompanied by her maid and two trusty
servants. when she suddenly beheld the
head and shoulders of man protrudiup
from the mouth of monster boa, whose
scaly body lay in serpentnc lengths
along the ground.
Taxing it for granted that was
dead, and chilled with terror, she ut.
tered the Mortified cry that l had dimly
heard.
at brought to her side the servants,
who were armed with sharp axes, to cut
path when necessary Though the tang.
led underground of the forest.
"They boldly. attacked the serpent
and succeeded in chopping him com
rletely in two just below the bulge in
his body caused by my feet and legs. 1t
was necessary, however, to slit open the
severed head and neck before could be
released
cat first they thought me dead, but
were soon re.oiced at discovering hing
ering SPARK OF life."
Under Miss De Silva's directions the
Colonial rvac faEon 20 H.