Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-05-05

Aou6o, uuUiA q uiI1lAy TOOGeu SlruD assisted
me.
l had negotiated the narrow, broken
lodges N was about to enter comparative
safety when, without any warning, my
friend, the snake, came slipping l~eisurely
along through the ferns and scrub within
q few feet of where I stood at the extreme
end of the terrace, upon a four inch ledge,
holding on with the fingers Of both hands
stuck in a shoulder high crevice. Both
the reptile and I came to a sudden halt
upon seeing each other, the snakes black,
forked tongue Pickering in and out as it
raised its head ~threateningly.
l wondered what on earth the brute
could be doing in that spot, but supposed
1t had got out of its cours when making
for the low ground and presumed that,
after the nature of its kind, it would scut-
tie back again a I advanced. l was on
the point of moving forward when, to my
utter horror, instead of rctreating, it be-
gan to sway its head gently to and fro
horizontally, at the same time coming
toward me by imperceptible degrees, until
distance of my lcggings.
l cannot account for the feelings which
took possession of me. I tried to retreat
I had only to go back q pace OF two, and /
would be in absolute sccurity-but for the
life of me I could not do SO. Let it not
be thought that at this time I had the
slightest fear, notwithstanding the fact
that a bite from the snake meant certain
death. My only sensation was that Of
wonder both at the serpent's behavior and
the consciousness of my inability to o
After remaining thus for some time the
pp0y>kt1o <I~,c,r -, M, 1p ~1>,,v lorn.oo
into coil, the transverse belly scales max
ing a gritty, Kissing rustic as they drag
ged over tho rock. Then it gradually
raised its head a foot above the center
coil, and I have an indistinct recollection
that l tried to cry to Mr.. Turner to ''look
at the black snake" while q cold sweat
broke out in the palms of my hands.
The beauty of the snake excited an over
polished, jet black skin, it's diamond eyes,
the lovely tints of its belly, that flushed
and glowed from bright crimson to rosy
and Pickering of the long forked tongue
quivering back and forth. After a time
my attention was fixed on the tongue
movement I felt so utterly helpless, yet SO
conscious Of that helplessness, without, /
maintain, the slightest approach Of fear,
that I wondered how it was I continued
to keep my hold.
The head swayed more rapidly now, and
a low humming mur1nur throbbed
through my brain, drumming, drumming
in my ears and keeping time to the sway,
till the eyes and tongue seemed q flashing,
glittering band of light across my sight.
c,~llo~1~, klo .,0rD,>,~rk o1D~01 hx1
senses returned Instantly with a great
contraction Of the heart, like one who is
suddenly awakened to terrible danger.
I tremblcd in every limb; the sweat
was pouring down my temples and along
my spine, for my danger was imminent;
the snakes neck was drawn back in a
curve sideways ready to strike; it shot
forward. I felt tho slight blow as it
struck my Logging, and with a shrek Of
desperate terror Ileaped backward off the
cliff. Down, down, down I went, struck
something-and came to myself again, to
find Mr.. Turner holding my head on his
knee and bathing it with icy cold water.
My escape was almost miraculous, for
though I was bruised from head to foot
and my shirt reduced to rags not q bone
was fractured, not a limb wrenched, only
A1y lV61lD 1c St1O 6uOuAUtI WVIC AuUAC4 oV-
verely scratched. OF course I am hardly
in q position to give the details of my
aerial flight, but my companions &C
count, as he related it, when I recovered
from my dazed condition and after search
ing carefully to make sure that the snakes
fangs had not penetrated my gaiter and
the thick breeches beneath, is as follows:
Seeing me regain the terrace after safely
~ sci o1or~ tho IroEon Tod noa ho had
picked up the camera, with the object of
snap shooting me, and was moving about
to get q clear view through the trees when
I called to him to ''look at the snake"
For fully five minutes I stood perfectly
still, at intervals calling out, "Snake,
snake!'' until suddenly I sprang back
ward of the cliff. For so feet I fell sheer,
and, my spring having carried me clear
bf the rock, 1 landed in a sitting posture
upon the top of q tall mountain ash tree,
crashed through the small branches and
SO reached the ground.
After resting and smoking for half an
hour I felt entirely recovered and deter
mined to revisit the terrace, in the hope
of finding the snake and paying of old
scores.
Arriving at the rocky platform, I armed
myself with a stout stick and had barely
covered half the terrace when I caught
sight Of my black acquaintance summing
himself at full length o the very verge of
tho precipice.
He came straight at me-, with head
erect, swollen neck and kissing like a
aend. That sort of. thing I could under
stand, SO I cut him down, gave him one
across the back that broke his spine and
then administered a dose Of his own medi-
cine by inserting the end of my stick
among the writhing coils and tossing him
over the cliff.-San Francisco Examiner.
Fine manner are q stronger bond than
. beautiful face. The former binds; the
batter only attracta-Lamartine.