Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-01-25
A STARTLING STORY.

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 aud proceeded TIC
make daily excursions into the forest in
all directions, Usually leaving two of the
boatmcn i'll charge of the camp. and
taking the other two along to carry sup
plies. The concession proved to be Il
trees were there by the thousand, need.
ing but the woodman's axe and trans
portntion down the river to fetch e25O
apiece. The tract was intersccted by
creeks i'll ull directions, along which
timber might readily be iloated to the
river.
1t was some ten days after our arrival
at the concession, when took AIurillu
with me for q short expedition into the
forest. 1t was II feast dny with the
Indians, and rs we intended returning
before evening we left them all four in
camp, merely providing ourselves with n
round of hnrd-tack apiece and cold
yenison for lunch. Murilla discovered
near by clump OF low bushes bearing n
ycllowish berry. This fruit he pro
fessed to recognize Us n familiar variety
which he Ind often eaten down toward
the coast, though he had never seen any
before so far in the interior. After test.
ing them he pronounced them delicious,
but of somewhat different flavor to thosn
on the east coast
we both eat of the berries literally
without the least suspicion of injurious
effects, ! finding them, as Murillu de-
clarcd, delicious. Ten minutes after
eating the first berry, however both of
us be anne thrilled with Il strange en-
hilaration. We became almost dcliriously
happy, Murilla bursting out in the
Portuguese doggcrcl with boisterous
hilarity as though intoxicated with
absinthc. As for myself, my whole
nervous system ting ed with pleasing
excitement TO the very finger tips. was
fairly Intoxicated. | have vague re-
collection Of making ludicrous resolve
to check my own wild impulse to sing,
by nodding my head in rythmic ap-
proval of Murilla's vocal outburst-of sec
ing Alurlla roll over on the ground, and
immediately following his example.
Then all became blank
This happened about midday. Not
until nearly sunset on the following day
did consciousness again slowly com
monce to assert itself. then awoke-
if foggy idea of trying to extricatc
onos SELF from hideous nightmare can
be called an awakenng-witha horrible
sensation of helplessness. 1t seemed as
though the lower half of my body was
numbed and paralyZcd 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. n singing was in my cars
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 drugged with chloro-
form, or person freezing to death. INV
natural inclination was to let things take
their course. 1t seemed useless to think
OF trying to cxtricate myself from the
vice'likc embrace that appeared to clutch
me as in rubber mold at terrible ten.
sion, from the waist down. 1t was ONLY
nightmare, which would pass away in
little while. And yet, it couldn't be
nightmare, for l was dimly conscious
OF being awake after all, and not aslee o
and dreaming.
Realizing this, by supreme effort of
the will aroused my well.nigh dormant
faculties to sense that something terri.
BILE was the matter. The numbness had
not reached my arms, and tried to raise
myself up-I was lying face downward.
AS l strove to rise was dragged back
ward several feet along the ground.
Mortified and bewildercd, raised myself
up with frantic effort, sufficient to
look toward my helpless extremity. NV
Godl was half engulfed in the throat
OF monster boa. This bideous reptile,
finding me lying at length on the ground,
stupefied, had deliberately set about
swallowing me.
Now | was thoroughly aroused; the
sensation was as though some powerful
suction-pump were employed in drag
| glng me remorselessly down, down,
down. inch by inch, into the slimy
depths of my devourer's stomach. Twas
suffering no physical pain to speak of
the dreadful pressure on the lower half
OF the body created only numbness there
above was sense of oppressivencss, but
there was an utter absence of acute
pain.
An indcscribably sickening odor also
emanatcd from the monstrous reptile
that was lcisurely working me down its
throat. 1t was the breath from the foul
and Shiny stomach that already entombcd
my ieet and legs, and would ere long
close over my head. Maddened at the
ioathsome prospect. | gave Mortified
scream OF agony, and, clutching franti
eally at The ground, ] struggled to re.
lease myself from The deadly embrace Of
The serpcnts throat.