The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-11-10

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movement 1t was a strange face;
low, white forehead rather broad.
pair OF piercing black eyes and q
sharp p inted nose slightly inclined
upwards. The lips were thin and
tightly closed. | had DO opportunity
to examine the rest of the form. The
eyes 1ickered like balls OF fire. Al
ter suspense of what seemed hours
the specter moved and / followed. 1
was powerless to do otherwise.
Those black eyes and that sharp
pointed nose had an uncanny fascina-
ton had hardly stumbled along
dozen steps before my flesh was
pierced and torn by the prickly spikes
with which the undergrowth
abounded. | strove to retreat but
those black eyes glowed mockingly
and found that the spikes turned in
wards and that could not go back
wards without being torn in shreds
Suddenly a myriad OF insects
buzzed around us and was burning
from multitude OF stings from head
to foot. / could hardly protect my
eyes but the spectre had donned
pair OF eye protectors which looked
like goggles. These closely pressed
lips were now parted in devilish
smile. On plunged, drawn forward
by that resistless fascination. saw %
black reptile coiled on branch ready
to spring, aud barely avoided its
fangs by jumping to one side. but
still that face smiled wickedly and
held me as ever. Again | strove to
retreat but was powerless Another
step or two and trod on poisonous
lizard. 1t squirmed from under my
foot and left deadly sting in the
heel. And now a frightlul odor
poured in from every side. II seemeG
TO enter every pore and to pros
trate every nerve A few moro steps
l staggered on, noisome poisonous
creatures springing up on all sides
and then we reached the end OF tho
lagoon; but the brush stretched out
beyond aud hid the luminous path
toward which | struggled. Onward
| l pressed, into the water. 1t was
black. and the saurian and reptile
abounded, but it mattered not; any
thing to be free from that fearful
Jungle, The awful black face Wild
its thin lips still lowered about
always within about six inches Of
mine The eyes were like Goals OF
fire and there was that devilish
smile of triumph but the face had no
longer any terrors.
/ was sinking. sinking, noisome and
Shiny reptiles squirming around me-
but knew it was only question OF
few moments and then-rest AL
ready that insensibility was creeping
over every faculty bringing with 10
the consciousness OF rest undisturbed.
As went down and down that spec
tire pressed closer and closer with
those Same black. fiery eyes, sharp
pointed nose and thin lips with their
devilish smile. The polluted water
reached my neck. 1t surged upwards'
and upwards and then that low.
melodious humming. which had never
ceased, became shrek, and there
was q blank.
, with rest and care he will be al
: right"
| heard those words and then l.
> opened my eyes and found myself on
a bed In an airy room. There was u
:, terrible dizziness through my head
and again l swooned.
1t was some weeks before / recov-
|. cred, but it was not until sometime
= afterwards that learned what the
:, cause OF my illness had been. When
= l Law down on the side OF the bluff
my mead had pillowed itself on black
snake, one OF the largest and most
, poisonous OF its species, which was
coiled up under tuft OF grass. One
: OF the trio had returned in couple OF
!. minutes and discovered the reptile
n n moving Its head backwards and for.
= = wards just above my face prepare
tory to making the fatal plunge with
= its fangs. A blow on the head had
q killed it and saved my life. All
- the sensations which had expe-
=, rienced had taken place within sixty
!, seconds The undulating motion was
= due to the movements OF the snake
- BODY the melodious humming haC
= been caused by the peculiar sount
- which it emits when enraged, and tina
~ sensation OF rest by the paralysi
- which attends its fascination OF IL
y victim. The awful specter in thu
= Jungle was directly due to the undu
- latory motion OF the reptiles hea'
q. over my head and face. All the othe
= sensations are to be traced to the pla
= on the nerves and the reflex on tn
y, imagination. The overpowering odo
w. before the last struggle was caused b
y. y. a few drops OF the venom falling Of
~ y my face when the reptile received tn
~, fatal blow. The fumes OF this ha
w been inhaled, and was the cause G
NJ my long prostration. John j. Syme
"a in the Pioneer Press.
y.
n IL Did Not Prove Fatal.