The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1890-06-21

to prevent alarm as much as possible,
lest the snake should glide off or attack
us in self-defense. l carried the lance
perpendicularly before me, with the
point about foot from the ground. The
snake had not moved; and, on getting
up to him, l struck him with the lance
on the near side, just behind the neck,
and pinned him to the ground. That
moment the negro next to me seized
the lance and held it firm in its place,
while dashed head foremost into the
den to grapple with the snake, and to
get hold of its tail before itcould do any
mischief On being pinned to the
ground with the lance, it gave tre-
mendous loud hiss, and the little dog
ran away, bowling. We had sharp
fray in the den, the rotten sticks flying
on all sides, and each party struggling
for superiority. The second negro
threw himself upon me, as l found was
not heavy enough, and the additional
weight was of great service. had now
got a firm hold on the tail, and, after a
violent struggle or two, the snake gave
in. While the first negro continued to
the other was helping me, l contrived
to unloose my braces, and with them
tied up the snakes mouth.
We contrived to make his snakeship
twist round the shaft of the lance, and
then prepared to convey it out of the
forest. stood at its head and held it
firmly under my arm, one negro sup
porting the body, and the other the tail.
In this order we began to move slowly
toward home, and reached it after rest
ing every ten minutes, for the snake
was too heavy for us to support it with
out stopping to recruit our strength.
AS we proceeded onward with it it
fought hard for freedom, but it was all
in vain. The day was now too far spent
to think of dissecting it. Had l killed
it a partial putrefaction would have
taken place before morning. l had
brought with me into the forest strong
bag, large enough to contain any animal
l should want to dissect l considered
this the best mode Of keeping alive wild
animals whom 1 was pressed for day
light for the bag yielding in every d.
rection to their efforts, they would have
nothing solid or fixed to work on, and
thus would be prevented from making
a hole through it. l say fixed. for after
the mouth Of the bag was closed the bag
itself was not fastened or tied to any
thing, but moved about wherever the
animal inside caused 1t to roll. After
securing afresh the mouth of the mon
ster it was forced into this bag, and left
to its fate till morning.
l can not say it allowed me to have
a quiet night. My hammock was in the
lott just above him, and the floor be-
tween us half gone to decay, so that in
parts of it no boards interviewed between
his lodging and mine. He was very
restless and fretful; and had Medusa
been my wife, there could not have been
more continued and disagreeable hiss
ing in the bed-chamber that night At
day-break l sent to borrow ten of the
negroes who were cutting wood at
distance, as judged it most prudent to
have good force, in case he should
try to escape from the house when he
opened the bag. However, nothing Sc.
rious occurred We united the bag,
kept him down by main force, and then
cut his throat. He bled like an OK.
BY six o'clock the same evening he was
completely dissected.
On measuring him afterward he was
found to be something more than four
teen feet long. This species of snake
is very rare, and much thicker, in pro-
portion to his length, than any other
snake in tho forest; one fourteen feet in
length is as thick as common boa of
twenty-four. After skinning this
snake conld easily get my head into
its mouth, as the singular formation of
the jaws admits ofwonderful extension.
N. y. Ledger.