The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-10-20

up again. and nearly frightened man
out of his wits.
AT the time the Lake Erie & West
ern Railroad Co. had crew of men
at work filing in deep cut at Curtis
Hill, eight miles of this city. The
day was a torrid one. A short dis
tance from where the men were at
work cattle were quietly feeding under
the shade of some scrawny oaks. Sud
denly there was commotion among
them, and with heads in the air, eyes
dilated and nostrils listened with fear,
they beloved with fright and started
away at a more speedy gait than ever
was shown by stamPeded herd on the
prairies. One of the men who had
been noticing the cattle's queer .ic-
tons ran up on the bank and was al
most paralyzed at the sight which met
his eyes.
Twined about one of the oaks was a
huge serpent. whose coils enveloped
the trunk of the tree in a fold which
to man or beast would have proved a
fearful death. Its sides were dotted.
its vicious little eyes seemed 20 emit
flames Of fire. and from the wide-open
mouth, with its rows Of Jagged teeth,
darted a long red tongue.
The spectator was for the time being
motionless with fright. but when the
immense snake slowly unwound it,
tortuous length and cast longing
chances toward him the power Of loco
motion returned. and he ran as though
pursued by a legion Of demons. sum
moning help he returned 20 the spot,
but the snake had vanished and all
search failed 70 reveal il. To his com
rades he described II IS fully for
t. feet long, with . body Of
prodigious sire. For days afterward
hogs and other small domestic animals
were missing in the neigh borhood and
mothers frightened their children into
q restless sleep by tales Of the horrible
monster which would come and dsvo1r
them IN case they did not behave them
selves.
The next place the snake put IN It's
appearance was out in Jackson town
ship. One dark summer night II fairly
terrorized a gypsy CAMP The leader
of the gypsies told a graphic tale re-
garding the event lie said that on
the night IN question his family and a
number Of Others on their wy nome
from Iowa 20 the gypsy queens home
n Ohio campcd near little
creek. They had pitched their tents.
psrtalccn - the evening meal.
and were fast asleep when the
neighing d the horses and the bark
ing q The dogs awakened then. Men.
women and children alike were on their
feet IN an instant bat through the
darkness nothing could be seen
The dogs still kept Up their turmoil
near the camp. but az a. once there
was hush. The frightened ours sEifh
tails between their legs. sunk - Their
master feet IN . verv ayuur q frsg5t
An instant later there eas . r1sbi1g
soand, the horses tu2rei - and broke
their tethers- then sped agaF with foud
screams - terror ihz, only a horse can
give. HaddIed together the c&npcrs
waited but 50 -szs no. FIR long. Al
most imyaed sately through tas dim
circle % light casr ~ fHe ssn0sideTtzg
campfire, n smmens~ seTTent g.tded
swiftly. with ia head fully Ten feet ia
the air mouth vide open. and -FieSrss.
eFeS swapping death ard aeafrustion-
straight q made for ore q he chil-
drcB sad - vas slnuo~t ~ M cavern
oas zevs when the lftsl. 0nSs nao.b-r.
iss-r f~sr> oTer7o1- ~ maternal lorp.
seiz.-d . brand frozn tae CAMPFIRE and
pang@G = ses&@rsiy is,o ne ssrp~rt-s
Husl1a- The asFprAs--a snake ssh5rl~d
s-ies.y >. cashinE e-srthing &ssle i. -
Wild eozrae 2aa s.iesG .way q .ss
1zrEEe-~