The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1894-05-03

rat, nDout 30 yaras natcrn, calling ~ my
dog 10 follow the. But had miacnlculnt-
cd tho speed ~ the great snake, for wl..lo
yet several yards from tho RIFT hoard "A
howl ~ agony from my brave Carl Look
ing over my shoulder, / inatinctlvcly
fetched "A shrek u horror and despair
While / had bccn swimming 1 o Yards
tho snake had glided morc than half milo
and pounced upon Carl Tho dog weighed
between 20 and 30 pounds, and hts grson
eyed captor was holding him In his mouth
30 feet ia the mir
/ do not know how reached the raft,
but ia iess time than it takes 10 record a.
/ had seized tho gun and cent "A heavy
charge ~ buckshot into the creatures
belly about whorc ~ emerged from the
water visible trcmor passed through his
body, his head fell, and bringing Carl
down with frightful velocity the poor dog
was hurled against tho sido OF The boat
with forvo that killed him instantly.
H. now appeared that my shot Ind not
only wounded tho reptile, but 10 had an
rcrcd him 10 rather dangerous and
alarming degree. Instantly his head was
again on high, dcafcning hissings came
from his throat, and the waters for hun
drCd fest seward were churnod into foam
by the Lorrid writings 81 his body
Again ] raised my gun and discharged
the other bnrrel II my first shot had an
gcrcd him, my second shot worked him
into "a frenzy that knew no bounds
Throwing back his great hooded head in
true serpcntine style, hc began 90 strike at
the boat. Al one time fastening his jaws
upon the starboard gunwalc, he wrcnched
of "a pieco of solid timber feet long and
, inches thick as easily apparently IA a
man would bite into the thin end Of a
shingio. Throwing his body into a series
Of great, vertical coils feet in diameter
lac completely encirclod the boat, and with
one construction crushed it into "A shape
less mass.
After crushing the boat the serpent did
not Immediately uncoi himself, but lay
some minutes with the fragments sim IA
his embrace, while his ever restless tail
whipped the surface Of the sea
Curiously enough, ia one Of its gyrations
tho end Of tho tail fell upon my raft, and
with what must have beon suporhuman
agility seized my broadax and with one
blow cut of Ave feet 81 the wiggling end
] was cstoeming this "a mos, valuable prize
but before / could secure IL the Shiny mass
wdgglcd into the water and was lost.
From this time the great reptile evident
ly began TO weaken from the loss Of blood,
which was pouring ia streams from his
head and the wound given him by the
broadax. Slowly rcgaininR his normal
position in the water, the creature with
drew toward the open sea and was soon
out Of sight.
When first saw him swimming square
ly abreast Of me, | should judge that from
tho elevated head to where the sea was
dashed by the end Of his tail the distance
was lbO feet. Tho great flattcncd head
was hooded like that Of an East India CO.
bra and from the tipof the nose 90 the in
sertlon Of the neck would have measured
perhaps foct. The head was fully ~ feet
wide, but appeared 10 BE- deficient In YER
teal depth. The eyes were set just for
ward Of the hooded appendage and were
as large as tho eyes of an OK. There were
no indications Of dorsal fin or rudimental
feet, rs have been attributed by some for
mer observers 10 the so called sea serpent.
Tho dogs body drifted ashore after a
few hours, and from the condition Of the
rarcass 1t was apparent that the reptile
was not venomous