Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-02
THE yERACIOtS SOLDIER.
Tells nm Extremely interesting Tale
.bout IL VornciOuS Snake.
From the Chicago Tribune.

From the Chicago Tribune
Soldiers returning from the Philippines
give evidence of having pracuced with the
long bow as well as the krag-Jorgensen
during their enforced stay IN the lslahus.
This story, from the pen of a mustered-ouL
Volunteer now in San Francisco, displays
a proficiency With the weapon OF a plcsur-
esdue liar that is positively startling. The
yeracious soldier tells of yoracious snake
and here is his simple tale
''Yes | saw some hard fighting. but the
only time l was really scared was ny
snake They say that those huge boas that
the natives keep in their houses TO catch
rats are harmless. l know better. | had
been with my company under ire all Day
and as night came on lost my way IN the
swamp and was separated from my COM
mand completely. Frustrated with the neat,
often unconscious for 4 time, l had lost
my gun and everything, and lay down TO
wait for morning near a deserted SNACK
WHERE some native had once had home,
and was soon fast asleep. / had lost one
shoe in the swamp. and my bare foot had
been severely cut and SCra tChed IN my race
for life. and as l went to sleep it pa1ned
me 50 as 20 affect my dreams. | dreamed
that | was still in the swamp and that my
left foot and leg Were SO heavy that l was
being slowly pulled down into the mud by
them and that the swamp was boiling not
/ awaked to find the pain in my foot lntol-
or,be. though dulled by the feeling we ex-
perience when say limb is asleep L
felt that l could not move my leg, l sat up
and looked at IL, and put my hand under
my knee and gave it a pull. In the DIM
light my leg seemed to extend off into the
Jungle definitely. Then ] felt tTinge of
pain and sense of something gripping me
about the shin
Wide awake and excited now, l saw that
I was being swallowed by huge boa. My
swol-n bleeding foot had attracted him. and
he had already swallowed it, and was swal-
lowing my leg inch by inch. by those slow
automatic pusa tons with which these hOr-
riII themselves outside their
prey. I ran my hand over the creature :
head and eyes. | felt of his great lower jaw
beneath my calf. 1 struck the head with my
fist. I screamed and yelled for help. /
struggled 10 a vertical position. bending the
snakes body upward. and even fell over
upon him but all had no effect. The swal-
lowing went on. Every minute l would feel
a prickling sensation an inch higher up
on my leg and a sense of suction, and was
aware that / inch deeper down in
the monsters anatomy.
Then l lay quiet moment thinking for
my life. Each gulp of the snake sent
sickening chill over my body. but my head
was clear. / thought with some satisfac-
ton that the boa couldn't swallow but one
leg since ne had not started upon both. Yet
7 knew that he would never willingly dis
gorge the part of me ne already possessed,
and unless / was found early in the morn
ing my chance of life small. l had no
knife nor gun but | was able to reach q
good bamboo club and 1 began to beat the
great serpent on the body. and over the
head. TOO. as hard as l could. But my
blows hurt my leg inside the snake more
than they seemed to hurt him.
AT any rate the swallowing went on. and
the snakes nose had reached my kneecap.
l had nothing in my pockets but my pipe
and tobacco and matchbox. Should smoke
and wait the turn of events? No. l would
make a fire and see if | could roast his
snakeship while he swallowed me. Fortu-
r.ately a pile of debris from the house. con-
sisting in part of broken furniture, imple-
nd ha la Law mot n rnT a
snakes body, and doubling him over |
reached It, and soon kindled II into a lively
flame. Then reaching out with my hands
and stretching my body toward some bushes
that grew to the right. / caught young
bamboo firmly and dragged the great hose
of the boas body squarely across the fire
At first he didn't seem to mind il much, but
presently he began Il series Of most vigorous
and powerful lashngs with that 1.-the and
tremendous body and tail, often nearly
pulling from my hold on the tree, and
twisting my leg Till ii seemed he would
wrench IL from its socket.
"And yet those automatic waves of swal-
lowing We're not checked l felt the Great
ure's head inclose my knee, and, indeed,
am sure the gulps by which / was being
taken in We're quickened as the monster 5
blood was warmed up in the flame / could
rot readily what was going on in the
fire. but ! was sure ii was burning hotly, be-
cause l soon felt the heat on my toes inside
the snakes skin. This sensation increased
and soon realized that if I was roasting
the snake my foot was being boiled at the
same time.
ut was a terrific and protracted struggle.
Sometimes my feet and legs were dragged
around sidewise till the snakes body was
out Of the fire: sometimes ] pulled
backwards till my free foot kicking
about In the firehrands. But the boa's evolu-
tons We're aiTnless. the mere result of pain.
while my efforts Were always intelligently
directed toward the keeping OF his body
across the fire. Occasionally | could free
one hand and find a piece of wood that l
could throw on the fire. and after a while
perhaps fifteen minutes though 1t seemed
many hours. | was sure that the snakes
laShiEgS and ceilings were weaker though
even yet the mouth was advancing up my
leg. But | now let go my tree, rolled and
crept about and secured more fuel, and soon
had the satisfaction of seeing that my
enemy was burned to a crisp in the middle
though the tail seemed still alive, as well
as the head. My foot. l was sure would
soon drop off at the ankle if | could Judge
how well II was roasted by the pain / suf-
fered
AT last I sat up and with a stick beat
the snake apart just below my foot and
then stood up with my left leg incosed in
such sr.akeskin Logging as never soldier
wore before. But whether you Will believe
me not. thar piece of a serpent continued
10 climb my thigh for hour after that
AT daylight as l struggled through the Jun
gle with that dreadful heavy logging still
me. met native woman. who. pull
ing knife from her belt ripped the thing
from the mouth near my hip down to my
heel, and so freed me. l deirious for
four weeks after | got into camp and my
raVing about snakes was considered all a
fever dream, as some still regard this whole
true story