The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1892-07-22

siiOOIING THE SNAhE
less search began to think was wasting
time on what seemed a FOOLS errand Still,
knowing the reputation of the country, |
hated To give up, and so decided to stay
yet another week. Three days went by,
and still nothing extraordinary turned
up. Then Oh the evening OF the fourth
took my gun and went out after game as
! was tired Of eating the fish the Indians
supplied with unvarying monotony. Be
fore had gone mile brought down a
small antelope. and as there was plenty of
time to get back to camp before supper
hunted up "a shady spot by the side of
little stream and lay down for quiet
smoke. The tramp and the heat had made
me sleepy, and ! dozed away with half
closed eyes
About sundown something made me
start up, and l saw sight that made my
heart jump to my throat. Coming slowly
out OF the stream, waving its head to ana
fro, spied an enormous anaconda The
stream was more than twenty-five feet
across, but may never speak again il his
head and five feet or more of his neck
weren't clear out of the water on my side
and yard or so Of his tail on the other
For moment / sat perfectly still-para
lyzed, partly with delight at having at last
got on the trail Of such monster and part.
ly with fright at the sight. There was
nothing to do but watch, so sat there and
saw him come wholly out of the water
"Ile was about fifty yards away, and
noted his colors were different from the
usual run of anacOndas. Black on top, he
had gray sides with brown spots, and only
his belly was yellow. He must have Just
cast his skin, for it shone dazzlingly. For
awhile he lay motionless on the grass then
he raised his head and wagged it up and
down. How he spotted me l can't even
guess, but when l noticed he was looking
straight at me felt decidedly queer. My
gun, "A double barrel, was loaded with
buckshot, but had no notion of courting
an encounter. Yet it would not do to run,
for no man can outfoot a snake. So sat
there, perfectly still, not daring to move,
and waited. In u few moments the ana.
conda dropped his head and lay seemingly
motionless, still looking toward me.
Watching him closely discovered he was
moving, yet / couldn't detect the culver
Of scale. Then l saw he was coming
closer-coming for me-actually stalking
me! AS the thought flashed through my
mind my hair stood on end.
ION he crept-glidiny so slowly. so in
sidiously, couldn't tell how he moved,
but he was getting closer all the time.
don't know If | prayed, but with all my
might strove to shake off the frightful
torpor that had seized me. The sweat
poured out all over me, but | couldn't
move a finger. Thirty feet-twenty feet
away. Nearer yet-ten feet-then he
raised his head. That movement saved
me-before that awful, motionless, glid.
ing approach Of death | was powerless,
but the sudden break gave me back my
powers. To seize my gun, spring TO my
feet, yell, let fly both barrels and take to
my heels didn't take a second AS fled
heard the brute Kissing like barrel full
of mad cats, but | didn't stop to size up
the damage. Reaching camp more dead
than alive, hustled the Indians into the
boat, and we spent the night five miles
down the stream.
My tale scared the Indians and we sat
up all night guns in hand. With morning
our courage revived and we went back to
investigate. The snake had gone-so had
the antelope, so guess didn't hurt him
badly. We tracked him to dense swamp,
but neither money nor threats could in.
duce those Indians TO follow him In; to
tell the TRUTH didn't press them very
hard We left the neighborhood that same
day and ! contented myself with shipping
Jamrach couple Of twenty footers pick.
ed up Oh my way down the stream. They
arrived at London in good shape and, as
he never knew what a specimen he had
lost, he was perfectly satisfied"