The Somerset reporter., 1894-03-15
MAN AGAINST BOA.
A Remarkable Duel Fought In Central
America to settle . Wager.


America to Settle . Wager.
A Newark engineer who served on
the engineering corps employed in the
construction OF the Nicaragua canal
told the story of duel with boa con-
strictor by fellow engineer. One of the
party stated one evening that he could
kill boa single handed. The rest of
the crowd tried to convince him he was
wrong. but he stuck to the assertion.
Finally handsome bet was made that
he could not dispatch boa alone if the
deadly reptile was in its natural con
dition. The young engineer promptly
accepted the terms of the wager.
The next day gang of natives were
sent into the forest to find a boa. They
finally came upon Just the article they
were looking for. 1t was a well grown
specimen of the boa species fully ID feet
long. 1t had eaten heartily few days
before it was discovered, and il was
therefore torpid. 1t was captured with
out difficulty and taken back to camp.
1t was deposited in room. where it
was securely bound and then left until
its sleep should be over. The young en-
gineer who was to meet the undulous
monster of the forest in a duel to the
death repented of his rash bargain many
times, but he never let any one know
and was dead game, as the saying
goes, from first to last. Boas often re-
main in torpor for three weeks, and it
was nearly fortnight before the pin
toned snake showed signs of returning
activity. The engineers then appointed
a night for the combat, and the young
man who was to face the serpent went
into active training. 1t had been stipu-
lated that his only weapon was to be
knife, and the young man relied On his
clear brain, iron nerve and supple wrist
to carry him through the encounter IN
safety.
When work was over on the appoint
ed day, those who were in the secret en-
tered the room and proceeded to cut the
ropes with which the serpent was
bound. 1t had been cooled up and sew
eral bands placed about it. These were
all severed but one, and the snakes OPP
ponent entered while his companions
beat a hasty retreat to safe coigns of
vantage from WHICH to watch the strange
battle and to give succor in a last ex
tremity. The young engineer was light
ly clad and carried in his right hand a
long knife, highly ground and sharp
ened. The monster, half famished as 1t
was was in a most angry humor, and
its horrid head, oscillating to and fro
with distended jaws and viciously shin
ing, beady eyes, must have made the
young mans flesh creep. He strobe
straight up to the boa, and with light
ming stroke Of his knife cut the remain
ing band that bound it. He jumped
back the instant the stroke had fallen
with the reierity of tiger cat, but his
swiftness was snai!like compared with
that of the serpent. Quicker than
thought the boa descended upon his en-
envy. Before the man could move he
snake had fallen upon his arm, had
wound its way up its 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 his other hand, b t sum
moned all his power ana cut AT the coll
of the serpent nearest his pinioned hand
1t was "A splendid stroke, "a backward
cut, and it was clean through the body.
The upper portion of the Shiny coil
dropped TO the floor and the intrepid
engineer had won his bet. The entire
contest lasted but a few seconds. and so
quickly did it pass that the hreathlcss
onlookers scarcely realized what had
happened. The young man was pretty
thoroughly exhausted. His shoulder
was quite badly laccrated by the teeth
of the snake. The strangest part of the
episode was that the young man S arm
was lame for weeks, and all its length
was a spiral black and blue where the
snake had encircled it.-Pittsburg DIS.
patch.
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