The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-02-17

| eye Slanclns around. lie saw me at last
and, picking up the club, which haC
been the trunk of young sage, he made
for me. crouched as closely under the
fallen tree as l was able, but had giver
myself up for lost, when the female
Orang-outang gave quick cry of warn
ing, and looking mp in the spreading
branches of a tree that reached over our
heads, the male saw long, dark object
swinging its length from one of the lower
limbs. l saw the object, too, and recog-
nized it as the anaconda, the only living
creature feared by the orang-Outang.
1t dropped from the branches around
which it had been coiled, asleep, nc
doubt, until awakened by the coming of
the orang-outang, and, with head erect,
rolled its length along the few feet that
separated it from It's enemy, and, with
An astonishing celebrity, wound itself
around the body of the ape. That gen
tleman trembled with terror, but, raising
his club, brought it down with such
strength as he could muster upon the
tail OF the snake. The anaconda writhed
from the pain, and threw back his head,
and all but let go his hold, when the
orang-outang managed to slip from the
deadly folds that were wound about him.
Selling Its club again, it aimed another
blow at the snake, but with a sudden
twist of itself the anaconda wriggled out
of the way aud before the orang- outang
could strike again, had thrown its coils
about it, dragging it to the ground. The
ape struggled up once more, and this
time clutched the snake with its terrible
hands just below the head The latter's
eyes seemed starting from It's head, and
its tail Hoped here and there, in its eff
forts to free itself, while the ape hung
on wi death-grip. But the end was
not yet come. The snake frightened it's
coils closer about the orang-outang, draw
ing them ever closer in its own agony,
until the apes head dropped and uttered
screams of pain. Its hold on the neck
of the anaconda loosened, and the snake,
raising its head, sent a breath so fclted
that it sickened me even where | was,
right into the face of the orang outang,
while it frightened it's folds about the
throat of the ape, until that animal S
eyes rolled in it's head, and it's muscular
arms relaxed their grasp of the snake.
In another moment the anaconda re-
leased the Orang- outang, which fell from
It's grasp motionless to the ground.
thought it was dead, as did the giant
snake, which emitted flood of saliva
over the carcass preparatory to eating
him, but as he did so the orang- outang
revived sufficiently to raise his head,
when as quick as a flash the anaconda
had wrapped itself around the dying ami
NAL, and gave it fearful squeeze that
broke the bones, for heard their crack
ing, and when the snake at last again
loosed itself, the ape fell crushed and
battered mass, with the blood gushing
out in stream from the mouth, eyes,
nose and ears. had no fear of the ana
conda, knowing that they rarely attacked
men except when hungry, and the Orang-
outang would serve for meal this time.
The anaconda stretched itself at full
length along the ground, and prepared
to swallow the ape whole. By the time
had prevailed upon the men across the
river to come back and help to bury
their dead companions, and this office
was performed, the entire carcuss of the
orang-outang had disappeared, except
for the head, which protruded from the
gaping mouth of the anaconda, which
lay stretched at his ease, much gorged,
and Iazily and good-naturedly blinking
at me with dulled eyes. In this condi-
ton l took possession of him easily
enough, and carried him with me to Eng
land. The female orang-outang would
tremble violently whenever she saw the
snake, but lived for nae to present her to
the menagerie, though the little fellows
died while at sea, much to my disap-
pointment.