Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1892-01-12

ago, and that brings us to Sunday, When
we cannot afford to lose the cock fighting.
But upon Monday, the fifth day, will
conduct you, But warn yon again it is
not wise"
Wise or not, was determined to get that
boas skin II could. Upon the fifth day
Jose said "manana" tomorrow Those
people always say ''manana" when you
want them TO do anything, But early on
the ninth day caught him at his house,
within half a mile Of the boa's home and
held him to his promise. He took with
him peon, whom he called Pablo, skill
ful and courageous hunter, and | was ac.
companied by my boy Tom, II very stupid
but well meaning darkey from Curacao,
who carried my magazine gun Jose and
Pablo were armed with machetes.
The road we had to travel was abomina.
BILE. Rocks, big and little, half concealed
by vegetation, caused constant stumbling
and hurts. Without the machetes we could
not have made our way through the tangle
OF interlaced tough vines, some of them
covered with thorns. Precipitation blinded
us, and myriad varieties of insects, with
and without wings, DIT u.s. stung us and
burrowed In our skins. Once Tom came
near treading upon a huge cascabel-a
serpent exactly like our North American
rattlesnake in appearance, except that he
bears no warning rattles, Again Jose.
clutching my shoulder. suddenly ierked
me backward and at the same time made a
lightninglike flourish In the air with his
machete, shearing off the head of long.
thin snake that dangled by its tail from
branch directly in our way. aud which
looked 10 my inexperienced eye like the
loose swinging end OF n LLAMA tvine) He
explained to rae that it was the most ven
omous snake in those forests, and its habit
was to dangle in that fashion and strike at
the eyes OF men and beasts coming within
its reach. 1t was gray, hardly thicker than
lead pencil and fully five feet long, with
dat, broad, malignant head and needle
pointed curved fangN from the tips of
which. under slight pressure. issued small
drops OF greenish venom-Huid death
! found myself losing my interest in
snakes, and by no means so assured as |
had been that wanted the water boa II
he had been just little farther away. /
think should have been in favor of "let
ting well enough alone" as Jose had sug
gested. but IL was near the pool, IN ont Of
the paths by which wild animals came 10
drink, thai our encounter with the swing
shs SHAKE TOOK place. anu q lew steps more
brought us To the boa's home The pool
though not more than eighteen feet wide
and forty In length. aas. rs Jose affirmed.
In some ?laees very deep. probably twenty
or ihiriy feet. beii simply huge cleft In
the bssirock- Near the upper end Of Il ,gf-s
the yswniDg Bsoatb Of a cavern, i,iy e,ol.yh
for thrss or fous men abreast 70 walk lnto
Penetrating 70 unknown depths ia The
mountain.
The big s1aks did sot appear 10 he al
hone either ~ The pool. suupiBg himself
% tbs great rocks a. tsts lower sad Of H.
fhsre be bad often beet seen i9y my guide
--of sfsA9ps The traisebes 81 ths adsaeeat
trees 10 wbte'h. a. ! MAS informed, be SONS.
tissues cliabsd. This saD MAS nov neaY lie
zenith sad the great ophSdlsn had sAa
posa1iy, fstifee 10 the cool depths Of biz
cavern for a aeoptids siasta. Pablo sag
tssssc CHAT Il ws sat d9pD quietly ilutls