The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-08-15

StHS that might assail them. A little later
me nre evidently began 10 anger them.
Tor the cracking Of the flames was an
swered by chorus of shrill. defiant rat
ting. The fast gathering smoke and the
rapidly increasing heat soon convinced
the snakes that they were dealing with a
Zoe against which they could not hold
their ground. and then they proceeded to
move, and in company filed out Of their
olu deh and swept down on the line OF
men on the outside.
II was an exciting battle that foiIovvcd
Inc men were all powerful and active
leHoWs and they piled their clubs with
precision and rapidity. A few saugers I'M
eouotedly succeeded In passing the line
Dut they were few, and when the battle
closed and the dead were counted. IL
was round that sixty-one saugers had been
siam. They varied in age from little
snakes with single button TO a patri-
arch with twenty-one rattles. They gave
Iortn an odor so offensive that a hole was
quickly dug and they were all buried
vi Inherent character, but not less
thrllling was the experience which John
MlIilams had with big SAUCER. Williams
owns and cultivates thirty acres of ground
at the south end Of Big Portage Lake. and
having some friends visiting him who de-
sired TO go fishing. he went to catch some
frogs for bait. little distance across
the road from his house is a small marsh.
and there he began his search. He started
several frogs. but as the grass was high
they all escaped. He finally made up his
mind that when he started the next one
ne would grab at il where II landed In
the grass whether he saw Il or not He
sawsone jump, and as II went under the
grass he made a quick grab for It, His
hand closed tightly on something cold and
SHINY very much like a frog, only il
seemed larger and rather firmer than
frogs body. In another moment all doubt
as to what II was ended, for with tho
rapidity of lightning huge SAUCER coiled
Itself tightly about his arm II was re-
markable that that the shock did not
cause Williams to loosen the grip he had
upon the serpents body. Had his grasp
relaxed he would be dead now. for when
he started to his feet he saw that he held
the snake just back of its head, thus
rendering IL powerless to injure him. II
was squirming and struggling furiously
to release its head. and Williams realized
that it was only question of time before
IL would succeed in doing so. He knew
that he could not long maintain the tense,
vise-like grip with which he held II and
that very slight relaxation would enable
the serpent to free itself. He knew, too,
that he must have help soon, and he start
ed Immediately for his house. shouting for
help at his loudest. His cries were heard
at the house. and two of his friends ran
out.
AS Williams feared, his grasp on the
snake began gradually to relax, and lit
tie by little the reptile worked its head
toward freedom. He strained desperate
ly to hold the snake until he should reach
his friends, and the force of his exer-
lions, together with the horrible appre-
hension under which he was laboring,
caused a flood OF perspiration TO exude
from his pores. 1t was minute or two,
but 1t seemed hours before he met his
friends, and as he held out his snake
encircled arm toward them he cried In a
hoarse, hollow voice:
"For Gods sake, cut it's head off quick!
I can hold 1t no longer"
His face was of ashen hue and he was
trembling all over like one in a severe
chill. His friends saw at glance his i'm
minent peril, and they quickly drew their
knives. He summoned his nearly exhaust
ed energies for one supreme effort, for he
knew that the struggles of the snake as
Ii felt the keen knifes edge at Its throat
would be fercer than at any other time.
He closed his teeth tight, shut his eyes,
and put into his right hand every ounce
of strength that he possessed. In another
moment he felt the snake writing and
twisting in almost uncomfortable con-
vulsions. He expected at each succeed
ing moment that 1t would free itself and
that he would feel It's fangs in his hand,
but he held on grimly, and at last he felt
the coils about his arm relax and then
he heard one of his friends say
You can let go your hold, now, John;
his head is ON the ground"
And in another moment Williams was
there, too.
It was some time before he recovered
from the effect of the shock he received
and he has since left to others the task of
catching frogs.
A short time after this a Mr. Willett of
Buffalo, n. Y, who was camped with a
party at the Portage, also had an unpleas-
ant experience with SAUCER while en-
deaving to catch frogs for bait. He had
worked his way out on a long log which
led out into the mud and shallow water,
and when a few moments later he started
to return to dry land he was Mortified TO
find his way barred by a SAUCER which lay
coiled about midway of the log IL was
evidently looking for trouble, too. for as
Mr.. Willett approached II ratified viciously
for a moment, and began slowly crawling
toward him, stopping every moment to
coil and rattle. The mud on either side of
the log was practically bottomless. and as
Willett was unprovided with a stick or
weapon of any kind, his situation was real
ly dangerous in the extreme. Slowly he
retreated toward the end of the log the
SAUCER following and coiiing and rafting
viciously every few feet. Death seemed TO
stare W llletI III Lilt race AOT " Jump lfOtu
the log was to sink out of sight In the
black, Shiny mud. and to remain was TO
fall a victim TO the SAUCER. Near the end
of the log was an old fishing stake to
which boats were fastened in high water.
Like a forlorn hope came the thought to
Willett that If he could only secure that
stake he would be all right. He could
reach 1t, but it resisted at first every effort
to pull it out. The energy of despair nerv-
cd him, for the SAUCER was now only a few
feet distant, and after desperate strug-
Cling he succeeded in securing g. Arm
ed with this he soon despatched the SAUCER
but the affair had so unnerved him that Il
was only with great difficulty that he sue
ceeded in making his way TO land
He had for some time before this been
very anxious to see a SAUCER. He says
now that his only hope is that he will new
err see another.