The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-09-03
HERE'S A SNAKE STORY.
TERELLING ADVENTURE WITH A
BRAZILIAN ROA.

4
Good Shots Killed the Ophidian.
From the New York Recorder.
81 always liked hunting, but never will
forget "a Equeer hunt chad whsn 1 was
after big game" The speaker was Maj.
Archibald Wendell 1t one of the best
known clubs In New Orleans, which was
entertaining him. He was we'll known as
a man Of adventure, and his story was
eagerly demanded. SIT was in Rio
Janeiro," he continued, 1.-THE first mouth
after my arrival. ! met an old acquaint-
I ance Of mine, Jack Dorne, harum-scarum
sort OF Chap, who had seen nearly every
thing and been nearly everywhere from
Boston to Singapore. We had not met in
three years, and there was never anything
more unlikely than our meeting in that out
of-the-w way place; and yet I'll give you my
word that as sauntered up the shady side
| of the street and met him saunt-
ering down the same side we looked up,
recognized each other. and Jack cried, as
oooly as though we had parted not an hour
before, Hello Arch! Want to 20 up into
the mlness Lot Of fun and good hunting
That Jack was funny fellow. He had got
pull with some man who was making
loads OF money in the mines, and he was at
that time busily engaged laying up for q
rainy day. He showed me his bank book
with some very handsome figures to his
credit. Well, nothing suited me better than
to SEQ the interior Of the country a little
and the end of it was that in ten minutes l
had promised to 60, and in less than three
hours we were on the way and were rapidly
leaving the city behind US. We had fine
horses, Jack knew every foot Of the way
and was friends with a good many people
oil kAa DL
to take our time and travel as slowly
or as rapidly as we felt inclined. Jack
had stopping places staked out, as he said,
and knew quite well every day where we
were going 80 spend the night. Jack kept
telling stories of the fun at the mines and
of the chances for good hunting OF all kinds
there, and we got along very oleverly. But
on the fourth day as We logged along, an
accident happened which upset Jacks oal-
eulations for that day. My horse put his
foot into hole and fell tanning himself 80
badly that had to walk and lead him.
For several hours we made but little head
way. and dark came down and found us ten
good miles short Of the place where Jack
had expected to stop. This don't look very
promising said Jack, obviously, trying to
peer ahead into the gathering shadows
There's a nasty creek bottom ahead and
hate like smoke TO go through it after dark
caught a glimpse of snake as
once, and haven't got through running
yet But the next moment he cried: Why,
Whist WIS thinking OFF, There's a little
hut just In the edge OF the bottom on this
side; an old herb gatherer living there.
Why, Of ooursel Wen spend the night
right there And hurrying on we found
the little hut. miserable place enough,
matched with leaves and with great hole
broken in one corner Of the roof but a
shelter at any rate. The old herb gatherer
was away from home, bat we took posses
siOn, lighted a candle, helped ourselves to
some food we found in the great corner
cupboard, and stretched ourselves on his
bed TO sleep. We left the candle burning
for fear of the ghosts, Jack said, and re-
member looking the room over
sleepilY by dim light and see
ing its tall, gaunt cupboard, whose
door we had left open, and the dark
hole in the corner OF the roof. The last
thing that occurred to me was that could
seq TWO fiery eyes cleaning out OF the dark
ness through that hole, and then l went to
sleep. 1 had a dream that would have done
credit to q candidate for Kelley Institute,
IL was so full of snakes aud crawling things;
and after had worried over it until
couldn't stand it any more | woke up. lay
there Tor several minutes looking at the
the candle, which was burning low. After
while raised my eyes and started OF in
yewn which was frozen on my face, as IL
were, leaving my mouth wide open. For
there, hanging from the hole in the roof
and gracefully waving to and fro,
was about eight feet of a snake.
And such a snakeI Boys, 1 don't be-
lieve l am exaggerating one particle when
l tell you that IL was as large around as nav
body While lay there and looked at him
and saw those smooth, swaying motions
that enormous head and the darling tongue
that was kept in constant play, / felt per-
U hot Ia
swallowed me without particle Of trouble
A'ad however anxious might have been for
sport, you know l had no anxiety to ex-
Iplore the interior Of a boa constructor
With some faint idea of selling my life as
dearly as possible slipped my hand softly
under the pillow and got hold OF my re-
volver. The motion, easy as it was, reused
Jack, and he half turned Instantly two
or three feet of the huge, shining body
slipped down through the roof and the hor-
riole head came nearer. Jack saw it, then
chat citizen of the world always so fertile
In expedlents-and with one wild shout of
Great Scott! Jump from the cupboard
Arohp he flung himself In that direction.
With a glimpse Of returning reason, l
scrambled after him, and In an instant we
were crouobed on the floor, under the lowest
shelf, with the door shut behind us. We
were safe, Tor the snake could not open the
cupboard; and we sat there and laughed
and cried in the most nonsenscal fashion,
with our selfAcontrol entirely gone. We'll,
IL that snake amt soldp was Jacks version
of it, but think he felt pretty serious when
he said it. After awhile we began to find
that 1t was too close la our cramped quar-
ters, and opened the door a tiny listle bit,
go that we could get breath Of air. We
found then that the candle had gone out
and the room was as dark as
Egypt. But we could hear something
moving in that dark room-soft, gliding
motions that made us thankful there wsre
good. strong plank between us and the
something on the other side. Time began
TO pass somewhat heavily in the cupboard,
pressed my face close to the crack in the
door TO get more fresh air and suddenly
something lightly brushed over my face
again and again. didn't know what it
was at first, but all at once it flashed upon
me that it TFas the tongue of that snake.
That was more than could endure. With
a murmured warning, Look out, Jack, I'm
going to fire. put my revolver to the crack
and fired at the horrible creature that
was caressing me with its Shiny tongue.
or course, shut up in that little closet
it sounded like the very crack Of
doom, and we were desfened so that IL was
some time before we could hear anything.
When we recovered a little, such sounds as