The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1891-01-01

A INDUSTRIOUS TOAD.
The Queer Creature Encountered by u
swiss Officer in Italy.

The Queer Creature Encountered by u |
swiss Onicer in Italy.
NJ. Charles Ofredus, Lieutenant in |
the Swiss army, gives the following &C |
count Of gigantic toad encountered by |
him on the coast of Italy:
After having seen Rome, Naples and
other principal cities OF Italy, returned
through Venice. had just left Abua-
pendente, town situated upon an emf
nence, and passed down the mountain
afoot to go to All inn that lies out of the
town. Nj. Buschins, the companion OF
my journey, was good ways before
me, having loitered by the way to ex-
anime some peculiar plants indigenous
to those parts. | had not penetrated far
when heard rustling in the thicket
upon which | had my eyes fised. |
looked down and saw at my feet an
enormous toad, SO prodigious that, with.
out exaggeration, it seemed to be more
than foot and half across the back.
The ugly monster was SO near me that
it touched my left foot Seized with
horror quickly drew back my foot,
having only strength enough left to
| run away as fast as | could. Recover
| ing my wits when had reached safe
distance from the horrid creature,
stopped awhile and at last made up my
| mind to return to the spot where |
had seen the horrible beast. Seeing
it in the same spot, ! came to the con-
clusion that | could easily dispatch 1T
| with my sword. Uncertain, however,
| what weapon / should use in making
the attack, and Judging that distance
| would be more prudent than close en-
| gagement, laid hold of large stone.
| which / could scarce lift with both
hands, and, with my naked sword I'M
der my arm. presented myself before
| the animal. His mouth was wide
open. and his little, black, wicked
looking eyes were sparkling,
his whole aspect betraying not the
least sign of fear at sight OF dan
ger; on the contrary. he appeared anx-
| ious for tho fray. Having raised the
stone as high as my strength would per-
nit, measured we'll its fall, covering
the toad entirely, crushing it, SO l
thought, into a shapeless mass. Hor-
rible beast / said to myself, that is
the last time ever you'll frighten tired
soldier out of his Wits and, here shall
be- your grave again said. as piled
q number of smaller stones upon the
large one that had first crushed the
monster. had great desire to ex-
anime the thing more closely and,
il possible, to dissect 1t, but had
not the courage to touch even the
stones under which it lay buried. Stand
ing, gazing intently at the little rock
mound which l had intended as tomb
for the unsightly creature, l noticed
that the smaller Of the stones had com
} menced to move. Soon the whole
mound topplcd over, and the beas'
walked out alive, seeming none the
, worse off from his late experience
Seeing that tho creature had neither
! wound on his ugly skin nor broker
} bone in his body, ! snatched NJ
my cloak and sword, and passed GU
+ of the thicket, declaring that ! woult
no longer mako war against such
t monster. Arriving at the inn | called
for q glass of wine, but no sooner had
4 drank it than felt feverish symptoms
l which turned into q chill, lasting nearl.
two weeks
: During the fourteenth and fifteenth
centuries some of the Italian and las
h German prisons were provided with tn
. monstrous poison toads of the Mediter
ranean coast. In very short time tk
4 air became contaminat ted by the exhala
tions of the venomous creatures to sue
@ an extent as to cause the death OF man
prisoners kept within tho buildings
y st, Louis Republic