The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-01-11
A NIGHT In A SNAKE

Locating our camp OH IL suitable
epot on the south shore of the Ami
zon, as nearly as that river can lie
snid to have any shore, Murilla and
lprocnlcd to makedaily excursions
into the forest in all directions, usu-
ally leaving two of the boatmcn in
charge of the camp, and taking the
other two along to carry supplies.
The concession proved to he IL most
magnificent forest. Mahogany
trees were there by the thousand,
needing but the woodlands nx
and transportation down the river
to fetch $50 pounds apiece. The
tract was intersected by creeks in I'LL
directions, along which timber might
readily be lloatcd on the river.
1t was some ten days after our ar
rival ut the concession, when took
Murilla with me for u short cxpc.li-
ton into the forest. 1t WIS Il feast
day with the Indians. and MS we in
tended to return before evening we
lett them all four i'll camp, merely
providing ourselves with IL round OF
hard-tack apiece and some cold vrni-
son for lunch. Al noon, where we
sat down To eat our lunch. Murilla
discovered near l'y ~ clump OF low
bushes hcnlin" Il ycI!owish berry.
This fruit he pruIrsse,l torccownizc as
n familiar variety which he had often
eaten down toward the coast, though
he had never seen any before SO far
i'll the interior. After testing them
lie pronounced them delicious, but of
somewhat different flavor to those
OH the east coast.
We eat Of the berries literally with
out the least suspicion of injurious
effects, finding them, as Murill. de-
clarcd, delicious. Ten minutes
after eating the first berry, however,
both of us became thrilled with a
strange cNlliiarntion We became
almost dcliciorSly happy, Mmrilln
bursting out into he portugesr,log-
gerel with IL boisterous hiInritv us
though intoxicated with alsinthc.
AS for myself. my whole nervous sys-
TEN tn@lc'l with pleasing excitement
to the very tingnr-tii.S. was fairly
intoxicated. ! have VAGUE lrcol-
lection of making IL lrdicrorsrcsoivc
to check myown wildimpulsc losing.
by nodding my head iii rhythmic APP
prevail of Murlln's vocal outburst-
of seeing Muriiln roll over on the
ground, and Immediately following
his example. Then I'LL became !;
blank.
This happened about midday. Not
until nearly sunset on the following
day did consciousness again slowly
commence SO assert itself. then
nwokc-iGa lo"gy idea of trying to
cNtrcate ones self from ~ h,lcous
nightmare can bc called an awaken
ing-with 81 horrible sensation of
hclplessllcss. Ii seemed aus though
the lower l;lfot'my bod WAS nlmlcd
and paralyzc'l by heavy pressure
from NIL directions. y vague impress
SIGN that my lower limbs were dead
and all the blood forced out of them
iniotlc upper pant of my body, crcpt
over me. My eyes seemed starting
from their sockets almost. Il singing
wss in my cars; and my breath came
in lnbored pants; my throat WAS hot
and dry with raging thirst. was
not yet fully returned to my senses;
like one drug.ed with chloro-
form, or Il person freezing to
death, my natural inclination was
to let things take their course.
1t seemed useless to think of trying
to eNtricate myself from the visc-like
embrace that appeared to clutch me
as in Il rubber mould at terrible ten
sion, from the waist down. 1t was
only IL nightmare which would pass
away in IL little while. And vet, it
couldn't he q nightmare, for | was
dimly conscious of being awake after
all, and not asleep and dreaming.
Realizing this, by IL supreme effort
oil the will | aroused my wcll-nigh
dormant faculties to sense that
something terrible was the matter.
The numbncss had not reached my
arms, and | tried 10 raise myself up
II was lying face downward. AS /
strovc to rise was dragged back
ward several feet along the ground.
Mortified and bewildercd, raised
myselfup with IL frantic effort. snl-
ficient TO look toward my helpless
extremity. My God! Twas hall en-
quilted
IN THE THROAT OF a MONSTER BOA.
!'his hidcons reptile. finding melyng
at length on the ground, stupnlicl,
had deliberately set about swallow
ing me.
Now, was thoroughly aroused,
the sensation was us though some
powerful suetion-pump were employ
ed in dragging me remorselessly
down, down, down. inch by inch. in
to the Shiny depths OF my dcvourr's;
stomach. | WAS suffering no phys
lcal pain to speak of; the dreadful
pressure OH the lower half OF the
body clratc,l only muubness there;
above was ~ sense OF oppiessivencss,
but there was an utter absence oi
acute pain.
An understandable sirkeniny olor al.
so emanatc,l from the monstro,ls
reptile that walls lcisurcly working mo
down his throat. 1t was the breath
from the foul and shiny stomach
that already cntombpI my feet and
legs, and woul, ere long close over
my head. AladdcHcG at the loatl,-
some prospect, gave II horritic.l
scream OF agony, and clutcling il4,nt-
ically at the ground struggled
frantically to release myself from I lie
deadly embrace of the serpent's
throat.
AS well might some modern Can
ute try to stay the tidal wave sresist-
less course, us to struggle for
freedom from that living wise.
stretched like rubber about every
hair-breadth OF what itengulfcd. As
! struggled | could feel the hooked
fangs of my devourer clutch the
buckskin ,incket was wearing, and