Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1889-01-10
IN A SNAKES THROAT.
Almost Swallowed by an Immense
Boa Constructor.
An Adventure on tho Amazon-Cuttins
the Reptile in Two and Rescuing
the Victim Of Its VOracity
"A Close Call.

Locating our camp on suitable spot
on the south shore of the Amazon, as
nearly as that river can be said to have
any shore, Murilla and l 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 car
ry supplies. The concession proved to
be most magnificent forest Mahog-
any trees were there by the thousand,
needing but the woodlands axe and
transportation down the river to fetch
$50 pounds apiece. The tract was in
tersected 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 short expedition
into the forest. 1t was feast day
with the Indians, and as We intended
to return before evening We left them
all four in camp. merely providing our
selves with q round of bareback
apiece and some cold venison for lunch.
At noon, where we sat down to eat our
lunch, Murilla discovered near by
clump of low bushes bearing a yellow
ish berry. This fruit he protested 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-
hcious, 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. l 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-
liriously happy. Murilla bursting out
in the Portuguese doggerel with bois-
ferrous hilarity as though intoxicated
with absinthe. As for myself, my
whole nervous system tingled with
pleasing excitement to the very finger
tips. was fairly intoxicated. 1
have vague recollection of making a
ludicrous 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. l then
awoke-ifa foggy idea OF trying to
extricate ones self from hideous
nightmare can be called an awakening
with a horrible sensation of help
lessness. 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. a singing was in my
ears. and my breath came in labored
pants; my throat was hot and dry
with raging thirst. I was not vet
fully returned to my senses; like one
drugged with chloroform, or a person
freezing to death. my natural inclina-
ton was to let things take their
course. 1t seemed useless to think of
trying to extricate myself from the
vise-like embrace that appeared to
clutch me as in q rubber mold at
terrible tension. from the waist down.
1t was only nightmare which would
pass away in little while. And vet,
it couldn't be q nightmare, for was
dimly conscious of being awake after
all. and not asleep and dreaming.
Realizing this. by . supreme effort
Of the will I aroused my well-nigh
dormant faculties to . sense that some
thing terrible was the matter. The
numbness had not reached my arms,
and I tried to raise myself up-I was
lying face downward. As I strove to
rise / was dragged backward several
test along the ground Horrifed and