Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-01-25
As we'll might some modern Canute

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about every hairbreadth of what it en-
quilted. AS struggled could feel the
hooked fangs of my devourer clutch the
buckskin jacket was wearing, and hold
me like pa of hungry nippers, while
the horrible suction-pump below seemed
to be worked with anxious energy.
AS soon as / realized the utter hope
lessness of accomplishing anything by
struggling complete change came over
ME. Ibeclmc rs calm and collected rs
if there was nothing to be alarmed Mt in
my pc ,iiiou. So cool'and philosophical
did begin 10 review the situation that
concluded must have suddenly gone
mad
If there was the alightest hope of es-
cape, argued with myself, it would be
in keeping my presence of mind and re-
manning perfectly quiet. Every struggle
] might make TO get loose, would land me
an inch further down into the depths of
the boa's slippery tomb, by bringing into
play the hooked fangs. and arousing tho
activity Of that horrible suction force
within.
From my school. boy recollections of
natural history came the conclusion that
my devourer must have been u good
twenty four hours engulfing me up to
the waist, and that by Offering q merely
passive resistance 1 might keep my head
and shoulders outside as long us life re-
manned. From the time l discovered
myself to he in the boa's lethiferous grip
until the above sensible resolve was ar
rived Mt could hardly have been three
| minutes.
For the first time sipce recovering
consciousness my thoughts now found
opportunity to wander from my own sen
satious, and my first thought was of
Murilla. What had become Of him?
Was he, too, being dcyourcd, or was he
already destroyed2 A glcam of hope
shot through my brain ut the query.
Perhaps he is unframed, and when lie
RECEIVERS from the Supplying effects of
the berries will be ablc to render ME
assistance.
In my anxiety to see If Murilla was
anywhere around tried to look about
inc. The movement disturbed the boa,
and again he dragged me back two or
three feet, and again the pressure from
below cxertod itself anew to try aud
drag me in. So long rs | remained per-
fcctly quiet the boa seemed content to
let natu.e take its course and to remain
in II scmi-conscious condition. lie
seemed to realize that lie had under
taken q tremendous job, and one that
required great deal of patience. The
least movement on my part, however,
he would interpret at once into an effort
OF his prey to escape, and would recip-
rocatc by trying to swallow me.
Hours, that the horror Of my position
seemed to lengthen into days, passed by.
thought l should go stark, raving
mad, rs felt the pangs of my hideous
devourcr scraping against my buckskin
Jacket to try and inch me further down
his throat.
The heavy odor of the reptiles breath
was like some ove:powcring drug. which,
If distilled and applied in moderation,
might even be tOlcrablc to the nostrils.
Darkness came, and added to the
terror oil my situation. My nerves were
now badly shattered, and in the dark
ness my plight was pitiable in the ex-
trcmc. How shnll | describe the weird
horrors of that dreadful night2 1t
seemed an eternity spent am d all the
blackness and the mental tortures Of hell
itself.
Morning dawned at last, although
never thought it would come and find
me in possession Of my senses. Why it
didn't find me raving maniac or n
blubboring idiot seemed the strangest
thing that had yet happened.
My first thought was to ascertain
whether the gutta- pcrcha-like opening
in my living tomb had gained on me
during these awful hours Of darkness or
not. | was lying all this time face down
ward, and although by this time
weakened almost to state of helpless
I ncn1 1nft 60 ~,
rim of the bon. constructors Jaws. They
were three full inches higher up my
body than yestcr eve. The excitement of
the night Ind just passed through had
exhausted my emotions, aud l remember
that this sinister discovery awakened in
me no sense of uneasincss.
/ tried to form some plan of putting
an end to my existence bat my brain
refused to make connection between nv
dim, disiointed flights of thought. 1t
was no longer equal to the concentra.
ton Of definite idea. I was now
beyond all active emotions. Once |
fancied l heard the cry of some animal
or human being near by but was too
lar gone to pay any attention.
AT last all seemed to be over with me.
1t was MS though the darkness of night
had gradually closed over me again; n
roaring noise in my ears continued for a
while i'll the darkness, and then all was
silent had sank into the unconscious.
ness of complete exhaustion.
remember nothing more until came
to my senses again in our camp on the
river bank. A couple of days. nursing by
Murilla brought me around so that I
could sit up and listen to his account of
my rescue. The cry fancied I heard Just
before sinking into inconsistencies was
from Murilla. The effects of the berries
had kept him stupeiied until the dawn
of the second day, tho close of the night
so full of horrible experiences TO me. lie
had Awakened, weak and burning with
thirst. Rising up he beheld not a dozen
yards away my head and shoulders pro-
truding from the mouth of a monster
boa, whose scaly body lay in serpentine
lengths among the debris of decaying
forest fungus.
Taking it for granted that was dead,
and chilled with terror, he uttered the
Mortified cry which l had dmly heard
and rushed away to camp. Being an ex-
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