Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-05-04
IN THE COILS OF A SNAKE
EFFECT OF A HUSBANDS AT.
TEMPT AT DISCIPLINE.
A HeartrendinS Story-A Young Bride
. Sroom's FoOIishness in Trifiins with
His Wife,s Fear of Serpents.

one Cl Lie luOsG luclN lTdNclcu Coui-
mercial men of that city, representing. as
he does, some of the largest iron manu-
featuring industries in the United States.
Observant of everything that transpires
about him, he has stock of anecdotes
large enough TO ill Il volume as voluIni-
nous as labor commissioners report. Ac-
costing a representative OF the Globe, he
said:
DO you see that gray haired man over
there" pointing as he spoke TO a tall, sun
tanned guest, who sat with crossed hands
in one of the benches.
His name" continued the New Yorker,
ais Ber;ram Smith. He is Brazilian by
everything but birth, having lived there
almost all his life, and it was there that [
met him eight years ago. He owned vast
tract of land in the Amazon valley, near the
base of the Andes, and had the sweetest little
girl for wife that mortal man could wish
for. Smith was prospecting for all sorts
of mineral on his property there, and I
sold him lot of machinery that was never
delivered I'll tell you why
when Lwas down at their place Smith
and his wife had just returned from the
honeymoon. He worshiped the very ground
the girl trod, and she in turn was as de-
they lived in was a one story affair, not
pretty TO look at externally, except that it
was covered by creeping plants, but plenty
of room and the essence of prettiness and
comfort within.
A FOOLISH PERFORMANCE
Mrs. Smith came from Rio Janeiro.
She had mortal horror of snakes, and her
husband used to joke her about it. Now
that country is full of snakes, boa con-
strictors thirty feet long and as thick as
sandfies There was garden about five
acres in extent about the place, and here it
was that the bride of a few months used to
get her outdoor exercise. except when ac-
companied by her husband, at which time,
Ibelieve she would have faced all the cobras
in the country. The prospecting works
were about three miles from the house, and
one morning Smith started for there on
horseback.
He had rife with him. On his way
home he saw sixteen foot boa wind its
Sinuous way across the wagon road. The
hideous head was raised for an instant and
the beadlike eyes glared at the intruder
the next instant bullet had found its way
to the reptiles brain. and with few con
vulsions OF its Shiny body the python was
dead. Being only about three-quarters Off;
mile from the house, Smith determined to
try what effect the dead boa would have in
quoting his wife's fears.
He made fast his hitching rein to the
snakes neck and dragged it through the
gates into the garden. Then he went into
the house and told Mrs. Smith about il
She implored him TO have it removed, and
at last he consented. Then, fearing she
would lose prestige in his eyes by an exhi-
bition of cowardice, she said:
i want the awful thing taken out of
the garden, but to show you am not afraid
of it | will go out there alone and inspect
the remains
TRYING TO PLEASE
"He scarcely expected she would do it.
The dusk was falling and the bushes in the
garden began to cast grewsome shadows
about them. The girl was game, though.
She got little pearl handled revolver from
drawer, threw a summer shawl over her
head and went out.
If you hear me shoot, she said, you
will know that the boa has come to life,
and l shall expect you te rescue me- Then
she threw him a smile and a kiss and was
gone
Smith didn't like to discourage her, but
he wished he hadn't suggested the thing
He sat there writing, but every breath of
wind seemed as it blew through the open
windows to bring with it a whisper of i'm
pending evil. He tried to laugh at his
fears, but they would recur in spite of him
Suddenly pistol shot rang out on the
still air. He started wildly. seized his rife
and made for the door. Then he laughed
at himself. OF course she had fired the
shot to brighten him. What possible harm
could come to her in the garden with
seven foot palisade about 1t? Pshaw! and
he sat down again, but he kept his rifle in
his hand and listened.
Why didn't she return? Surely it was
time. Then he thought he heard a scream,
and at last, in a frenzy of doubt, he burst
through the doors and went in search of
her Il
Through the bushes he ran, calling her
name at every step. There was no answer
save the signing of the wind through the
cassia trees On he sped, with a horrible |
fear in his heart. 1t had become quite |
dark, and no sign had he found of the |
missing wife. Even as he neared the spot |
where lay the dead snake the husband |
nursed hope that she was just hiding to
brighten him.
a HORRIBLE SIGHT.
Now he was nearing the spot. Great |
heaven! what was that, There was some |
thing wrong. Madly he rushed forward, |
possessed of daZed terrified consciousness
that the snake had come to life and was |
moving. A few steps further, and then the |
sight that met his gaze was enough to have
turned him to stone. There lay the dead |
boa just as he had left it. Near it was an |
other and larger one, evidently the mate |
of the one he had slain. This monster was |
eoiled tightly about some white object and |
the man over yonder became a raving |
maniac as he followed with his eyes the |
swaying motion of the brute's scaly head |
The circle of the snakes body contracted, |
and there was horrible cracking sound.
Then an arm, dainty white clad arm,
was released from its bondage. 1t fell to |
the earth and Smith saw it. He knew that |
the one being he loved best ON earth was
wrapped in that awful embrace. He heard |
the cracking of bones and knew that his |
wife's delicate frame was being crushed to
a shapeless mass. He saw the tongue of |
the snake licking leisurely the fair face
which had smiled at him so sweetly but |
few moments before, but he was mercifully |
bereft of reason, and he laughed at the
sight.
what was left Of that poor little wom-
ans body was recovered by the search party
that went to look for both of them an hour
later. She was buried in the old cemetery
at Rio Janeiro, but Smith knew nothing