Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-02-21
A DUEL WITH A BOA,
A Wager of an Engineer Which
Nearly Cost Him His Life.

"A 4>N"UAN ~ W '.-,-tsslE 80
served on the engineering corps
employed in the construction OF
the Nicaragua Canal, and is home nae,
on a sort of a furlough, recently
told writer for the Pittsburg Dis
patch the story of duel with 9
boa constructor by a fellow-en-
gineer. Life in the canal country
is dreary, and various schemes are are
resorted to in order to relieve the
monotony. One of the party stated
one evening that he could kill e
boa single-handed. The rest of TIE
crowd tried to convince him he was
wrong, but he stuck to the assef-
tion. Finally a handsome bet was
made that be could not dispatch 9
boa alone if the deadly reptile was
in it's natural condition. The
young engineer promptly accepted
the terms Of the wager. The next
day a gang of natives were sent
into the forest to find a boa. They
continued their search for some
time, and finally came upon Just
the article they we're looking for:
1t was a well-grown specimen OF
the boa species, fully fifteen feet
long. 1t had eaten heartily few
days before it was disc overed, and
it was, therefore, torpid. 1t was
captured without difficulty and
taken back to camp. 1t was de-
posted in a room, where it was So
curely bound and then left until
it's sleep should be over. The
young engineer who was to meet
the undulous monster of the forest
in duel to the death repented of
his rash bargain many times, but
he never let anyone know it, and
was "dead game" as the saying
goes, from first to last. Boas often
remain torpid for three weeks,
and it was nearly a fortnight be-
fore the pinioned snake showed
signs of returning activity. The
then appointed q night
for the combat, and tie young man
who was to face the serpent went
into active training. 1t had been
stipulated that his only weapsa
was to be a knife, and the young
man relied on his clear brain, iron
nerve, and supple wrist to carry
him through the encounter in
safely.
When work was over on the ap-
pointed day those who were in the
secret entered the room and pro-
ceeded to cut the ropes with which
the serpent was bound. 1t had
been coiled up and several bands
placed about it. There we're all
severed but one, and the snakes
opponent entered, while his COM
panions beat a hasty retreat to safe
coigns of vantage from which to
watch the strange battle and to
give succor in a last extremity.
The young engineer was lightly
clad and carried in his right hand
a long knife, highly ground and
sharpened. The monster, half
famished as it was, was in most
angry humor, and it's horrid head
oscillating to and fro with diatend-
ed jaws and viciously shining
beady eyes must have made the
young mans flesh creep. He strobe
straight up to the boa, and with a
lightning stroke Of his knife cut
the remaining band that bound it.
He jumped back the instant the
strok had fallen with tho celebrity.
of a tiger cat, but his swiftness
was snaillike compared with that
of the serpent. Quicker than
thought the boa descended upon
his enemy. Before the man could
move the snake had fallen upon
his arm, had wound it's way up it's
entire length, and was biting at his
shoulder. The arm around which
the snake had wound itself was
the young fellows knife arm.
Luckily the hand and wrist were
free, He did not wait to transfer
the knife to the other hand, but
summoned all his power and cut
at the coil of the serpent nearest
his pinioned hand. 1t was aplen-
did stroke, backward cut, and it
went clean through the body. The
upper portion of the Shiny coil
dropped to the floor and the in
trepid engineer had won his bet.
The entire contest lasted but few
seconds and so quickly did.it pass
that the breathless onlookers