The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-05-01

nsszvs 161l6u1 ~ - 2S,11 M
I4br04n hinse1f / belisr1, krn6lc1 e
he serpent but th1t I fesIrafhed 6in
and levelih1 my fife, / again essayed r.
bring the prolonged conflict b conclu'
SIGN.
Acting under my Instructions two d
the seanen engaged the reptile from
%. side, whilst on the other steadily
worked the crank OF tho Winchester, di.
recting shot after shot at the quiverinQ
coils, which, like steel springs,
seemed 70 be constantly shanr na
their POSITION. notwithstanding my
/ proximity TO the mark, however,
and although deemed dexterous
in the use Of rife. none of the shots
inflicted disabling wound, and the
obstinacy and courage displayed by the
creature as 1t faced its foes and refused
=, SrvyzsHs,s Sss sSsssssssssng Munuerfun
| During all this time poor Barry lay
as one dead at the foot Of the tree; but
the boa having somewhat changed it,
position In the course Of the fight,
directed two OF tho sailors to 20 and
pull away The body. This. at last, one
Of them succeeded in doing in the smoke
and confusion, but he had carried 1t but
few feet when the reptile, realizing
that its prey was about to escape it,
swerycd over and lunged its head for
ward sAstrilsiBg ut the afiorzZ3s
Dropping his burden on the ground,
the sailor drew his long sheath-knifc,
and as the boa $ head touched his breast
he buried the blade almost to the hilt
in the creatures muscular neck The
boa, however, gripping the man by the
shoulder, with movement SO rapid that
tho eye was unable TO follow il, Instant
ly enyeloped the brave fellow in its
powerful folds. There was perceptible
quivcr throughout its enormous length
as the muscular action of construction
was set in motion. In another instant
the crushing of bones and flesh would
have been heard when, Selling a short
spear from one of the natives, Vermejho
severed at blow the prehensife tail OF
the boa, about two feet up. In a moment
the great coils relaxed and it turned
upon its new adversary. Kissing with
awful fury, it struck again and again at
e'ic iNtut hiAoV Who hlSt ~ CfCEJ blulc
with savage stroke of the harp spear
head: and then, seeing that it moved
with difficulty, and that the loss Of it's
tail had deprived it Of much OF its pow
er. the natives and sailors rushed in and
clubbcd it to the ground. A moment it
writEed there, and then, stepping up to
II, placed the muzzle Of my Winchester
against the ugly head and fired. Thus
ended one of the toughest fights have
ever known boa or any other kind Of
serpent To make II literally fought an
til it died when once brought to bay.
1--WE carried poor Barry back to the
launch, whore he lay delirious for some
days His shoulder was terribly LAGER
atcd by the scrpents teeth, and he was
so badly wounded that it was weeks be-
fore he recovered from his terrible ex-
perience. -.., :.
During my soiourn in the Brazils
and India ! have seen many OF the
largest reptiles, among them the gigan-
tic python; but never any which ar-
preached in size, strength or gameness
that Which shalt always maintain was
the Father of Serpents, and which gave
us such a battle royal that night on the
banks of tho Solimoens ver.''-Austyn
frr.