Birmingham age-herald., 1894-07-13

remarkable peculiarity-that it has two heads. Like its congencrs, however, it's bite is not poisonous and it swallows it's victims. As was saying, had an ad- ventuRe on the occasion with one of these monsters which I think I shall not soon forget One morning had gone into the forest with a native to hunt, and in the course of my rambles I saw beautiful hued bird of the parrot family in tree, and I shot it. The bird caught in the branches, and my attendant having become separated from me I concluded to climb for the bird myself When I had reached the lower limbs with my prize, saw stretched on one of them tho largest sized boaconda, with its four wicked eyes watching me- The shock of this sight was so great that started violently, lost my balance and fell from the tree, lighting full on my back with such force as to knock me entirely senseless. How long I remained in this condition do not know, but when re- covered I felt as if my legs were fixed in wise, and being unable to move them be- came convinced that I had injured my spine and was paralyzed. After several in effectual attempts to move raised myself on my elbow and looked down at my legs
 You may imagine my surprise not to say horror when, lying close to my body on each leg, saw half of each head of that dreadful serpent Why I should only see half l could not explain to myself, and be- fore 1 had time to investigate l had faint ed. This was of short duration, and pres ently was myself again, and taking an other look I found the serpent still there. Then l began to understand, and in minute more I knew that the reptile had attempted to swallow mo, for on my hands and face could feel the slime with which these brutes anoint their victims before they begin to swallow them. Evidently this one had not been very careful in it's calculations or possibly had never at tempted to swallow a human being for ono of tho heads had commenced on one of my legs, while tho other head tackled the other leg and when that much of mo had been swallowed tho remainder could not very well be, for reasons not necessary to explain Eere In any event, that part which had been swallowed had stuck in the two throats, and while was helpless the snake was in no better fix. What to do was the question now, and having be- come somewhat accustomed to my posi- tion was cool enough to think of some way of escape.
 While revolving various plans in my
 
 there within reach lay my double barrolcd gun, with one load in it. The next instant had hold of it, and tho next had slip ped in another cartridge and was ready for war. I couldn t shoot the snake in tho head unless I shot my legs off, but I cal culatcd that its heart must Do somewhere near the point of junctCre of the necks, which was about three feet from tho tip of the nose. Toward that point then, I slowly slipped the gun, and when had got it as far es I could I shut my eyes, breathed q prayer and let both barrels go. It almost tcro tho great body of the snake 6sunder, and in it's death tlirccs I was beaten around the bush ia terrible fashion for minute CT two until I was thrown out of reach. In half an hour I had re- covered sufficiently to walk.
 ''On my way back to the village I mo- ticcd a huge anaconda asleep by tho path way and as I wanted the skin of ono I drovo my knife through the hc;,d of tho sleeping reptile and proceeded to dcnudo it of it's intcgumont. ] observed as I thought, t.at it had swallowed lamb and was sleeping eff the effects of it, but what was ny surprise whrn cut into it to find within the body of the attendant who had accompanied Inc out to tho forest in tho morning." The dreamy voiced man looked riously up toward tho ceiling of the smoker and wes silent moment.
 Was he dcad:" inquired the drummer and tho dreamy voiced ,--an seemed lost in thought.