The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-09-05

- uly' stoOu ana watcheL the
steam pressure-as indicated b the
dial gage-mount slowly from five tc
ten and twenty pounds, then. Incl.
dentally, tried the pop off, to see
II 1t would work. 1t was rustel and
stuck. | pulled an empty box forward
to stand on while / examined the safe.
ty-valve, but had hardly stirred the
box, when two snakes scurried from
beneath lt-pretty large snakes. too.
1t was far from light in the shed, for
the door was open only crack. The
snakes ran IN back of the boiler. |
was afraid they might be venomons.
There are two or three bad snakes
In Luzon.
Throwing open the furnace door tc
get more light, l took the furnace
| poker, an iron rod about six feet long.
and began prodding to drive them out.
One started out va yellow.
| spotted snake-and headed for the
outer door. | sprang TO strike at il
with the rod, as II ran. 1t gained the
door, but l whacked 1t about a foot
from its tail, whereat il thrashed back
at me, to strike with it's fangs. /
broke its neck, however, with another
blow and threw 1t out, swinging the
door back as turned to find the other
snake.
But either gust of wind from out.
| side, or the draught of air. caused bv
the open door OF. the furnace. made
the outer door swing TO, with sufficient
force to catch and spring the lock.
The instant / heard ii click, | remem-
bered that / had left the kew in the
lock outside, and realized that l had
now foolishly got myself locked into
the shed
Not pleasant predicament, for
there was the other snake behind the
boiler; and then there was, besides. the
rusted pop Off, to deal with and
that at once, for a glance at the gage
showed eighty pounds of steam, with
the pointer jumping higher every
moment.
Forgetting the snake for moment.
III the urgent need of preventing n
boiler explosion, l hurriedly closed
the furnace door and the draught
slide to deaden the fire, and OF course
made it quite dark inside the shed.
Then Jumped on the box to start the
pop of. " 1t still stuck, but two or
three blows from the poker started it,
when with loud plu-r-r-r.p, a gush
OF steam spurted up into the roof of
the shed
The effect of that blast of steam was
like black magic! \ conjurors wand
never called forth more startling
horde! In an instant, the shed was
full of rushing, tapping things that
squawkcd horribly and struck me
FROM before and behind, Nasty.
clammy hands seemed to buffet my
face! Claws clutched my hairl
Teeth chartered in my ears!
To protect my face l threw up nv
arms, lost my balance and fell oil the
box. Horrid furry surfaces rubbed
and tapped against my hands. Some
thing bit my left wrist and chung
there. l shook it off 10y main
strength, and struck right and left
with the fire rod.
Every moment l hit some flying
thing, with soft thud, and they fell
all around me, squaking, kissing and
Tapping about underfoot in the dark
ness!
With every blow of the poker the
uproar doubled. The whole interior
of the shed seemed to be alive with
madly huttering pinions, swapping
teeth and hideous. squeaking sounds.
Regardless now, either OF snakes on
the floor, or overcharged boilers, !
lashed out with that rod. l knocked
everything loose III the shed, and
brought down upon my head almost
everything in the loft. In the mids
OF the racket, the door suddenly
opened, and there stood Miguel. He
had seen the smoke of the boiler
stack and had fastened TO the shed.
The light showed me to be- literally,
knee-deep among Hopping, Kissing
creatures which ] had struck down
around me. ''Por ell amor dc Dios,
kalong,' exclaimed Miguel. "Tiene
malo, senior? lAre you hurt, sir?)
That was my first. introductio to tho
kalong, the "Aying foxes" the great
fruit eating vampire of the Philip
pines; brown bat as large as cat
which knaws and spells unlimited
quantities Of fruit in the native gar
dens.
Twenty OF them, some of
which had a spread Of wing of fully
five feet, lay Rasping aud swapping
where ] had knocked them down, and
we drove out fully as many more
from the loft They had como in
through the veutilator Oh the roof.
and no doubt had found the place n
snug, comfortable haven dur.lg tho
cold rains