The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1889-01-25
IN A SNAKES THROAT.
Almost Swallowed by an Immense
Boa Constructor.
An Adventure on the Amazon-Cuttine
the Reptile in Two and Rescuing
the Victim of It's voracity
"A Close CalI.

Locating our camp on q suitable spot
on the south shore of the Amazon, as
nearly as that 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 boatmcn in charge of the camp,
and taking the other two along to car
~ supplies. The concession proved to
be most magnificent forest Mahog-
any trees werc there by the thousand,
needing but the woodman's axe and
transportation down the river to fetch
$50 pounds apiece. The tract was in
tersccted by creeks in all directions,
along which timber might readily be
foated TO the river.
1t WAS some ten days after our ar
rival at the concession, when l took
Murilla with me for a short expedition
into the forest. 1t was feast day
With the Indians, and as we intended
to return before evening we left them
ali four in camp, merely providing our
selves with a round of hard-tack
apiece and some cold venison for lunch.
At noon, where we sat down to eat our
lunch, Murilla discovered near by a
clump of low bushes bearing yellow
ish berry. This fruit he profcssed to
recognize as familiar variety which
he had often eaten down toward the
coast, though he had never seen any
before SO far in the interior After
testing them he pronounced them de-
Icious, but OF somewhat different
flavor to those on the east coast
We both ate of the berries literally
without the least suspicion of injuri-
Gus effects, i finding them. as Murilla
declared. delicious Ten minutes after
eating the first berry, however, both
Of us became thrilled with a strange
exhilaration- We became almost de-
iiriously happy, Murilla bursting out
IN the Portuguese doggerel with bois-
ferrous hiiarlty as though intoxicated
with absinthe- As for myself, nv
whole nervous system tingled with
pleasing excitement to the very finger
tips. L was fairly intoxicated
have vague recollection of making a
iudicrous resolve to check my own
wild impulse to sing by nodding my
head in rhythmic approval of Murilla's
vocal outburst-of seeing Murilla roll
over on the ground. and Immediately
following his example. Then all be-
came blank.
This happened about midday. Not
until nearly sunset on the following
day did consciousness again slowly
commence TO assert itself ! then
awokc-if 4 foggy idea of trying to
extricate ones self from a hideous
rlir ffr,- h..
with a horrible sensation of help
lessncss. 1t seemed as though the
lower half of my body was numbed and
paralyzed by heavy pressure from all
directions. A vague impression that
my lower limbs were dead and all the
blood forced out of them into the upper
part OF my body crept over me. MY
eyes seemed starting from their
sockets almost, q singing was In my
ears, and my breath came in labored
pants; my throat was hot and dry
with raging thirst. / was not yet
fully returned TO my senses; like one
druggcd with chloroform, or a person
freezing 10 death, my natural inclina-
tion was to let things take their
course. 1t seemed useless TO think OF
trying to cxtricate myself from the
vise-like embrace that appeared to
clutch me as in a rubber mold ut
terrible tension, from the waist down.
1t was only a nightmare which would
pass away in little while. And vet,
it couldn I be a nightmare, for 1 was
dimly conscious of being awake after
all, and not asleep and dreaming.
Realizing this, by supreme effort
OF the Will / aroused my well-nigh
dormant faculties TO sense that some
thing terrible was the matter. The
numbness had not reached my arms.
and tried TO raise myself up-I was
lying face downward. AS i strove to
rise l was dragged backward several
feet along the ground. Horrified and
bewildcred. ] raised myself up with a
frantic effort. sufficient TO look toward
my helpless extremity. My Godi
was half cngulfed in the throat OF
monster boa This hideous reptile,
finding me lying at length on the
ground. stupefed, had deliberately set
about swallowing me.
Now l was thoroughly aroused. the
sensation was as though some power
full suction pump were employed in
dragging me remorselessly down,
down, down; inch by inch into the
Shiny depths of my devourer's stom-
ach. / was suffering no physical pain
TO speak of; the dreadful pressure on
the lower half of the body created only
uumbness there above was q sense Of