San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-05-15
IN THE COILSOF A SNAKE.
AWFUL EFFECT OF A HUSBANDS
ATTEMPT AT DISCIPLINE.


His wife's Dread and Fear of Serpents.
Rufus Hoyt, of New York city, is per-
haps one of the most widely travelled COM
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 a stock of anecdotes
large enough to fill Il volume as volumi-
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 tall, sun
tanned guest, who sat with crossed hands
in one of the benches.
His name," continued the New Yorker,
sis Bertram Smith. He is Brazilian by
everything but birth, having lived there
almost all his life, and it was there that l
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 q lot of machinery that was never
delivered I'll tell you why.
"When was 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-
voted as ever woman can be. The house
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.
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
sandies. 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 &C.
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 ut 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 of&
| mile from the house, Smith determined TO
| try what effect the dead boa would have in
quieting 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 ii
| She implored him to have it removed, ana
| at last he consented Then, fearing she
would lose prestige in his eyes by an eXhi-
| bition OF cowardice, she said:
4 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
a drawer, threw a summer shawl over her
head and went ont.
eff you hear Ine shoot she said you
will know that the boa has come to life,
and l shall expect you to rescue me- Then
she threw him a smile and 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 il 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 rifle
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 a
seven foot palisade about it? Pshaw! and
he sat down again, but he kept his rifle in
his hand and listened.
"Why didn't sac return? Surely it was
time. Then ne thought he heard a scream,
and at last, in frenzy of doubt, he burst
through the doors and went in search of
her.
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 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 a hope that she was just hiding to
brighten him.
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