Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-09-26

Next luOfIluS we COuuteu tue lOWlSs
and they were all there. The planter
said they did not disappear regularly
every night, but every second or third,
SO l determined to sit up every night
for a month, if necessary, to solve the
mystery.
'"The following night, therefore, I
again took up my post in the fowl
house. l had been watching for about
an hour when l fancied heard some
thing moving on the roof and sat up,
watching under the caves intently.
IL was just looking down to see if
the lamp was burning all right when I
heard the fowls begin to move about as
if something were disturbing them on
their perches. Yes: there was some
thing there, sure enough. for they be-
gan to get uneasy and shift about. l
had noticed when l came in that they
had left the perches under the hole
near the roof free and were all roost-
ing as far away from it as possible, as
if they knew the direction from which
their enemy came.
[AAs ~ was dI tuclu uOW, lOT
could hear them shifting about more
and more. and presently one came fut-
tering down to the ground. 1t was
time to act. l reached down and picked
up my lamp. Turning the shade, l
threw ray of light upward. rising to
my feet at the same time and holding
my gun ut full cock in my right hand.
II beheld most extraordinary spec
tacle. A little above me, the light shin
ing on his glittering body. was a huge
rocksnake! l could not see his head;
but, throwing my gun up, fred both
barrels, the shell and the small shot,
right into him, fancying at such close
range it would kill him. But found l
had made great mistake, for the next
minute I was seized by the arm and
swung irresistibly round. Then, mixed
up with fluttering. squawking fowls
and broken wood. dust and dirt, I was
battling desperately for dear life to
keep out of the coils of the terrible
monster, who had seized my arm in his
mouth. My gun and lamp were both
dashed out Of my hands, and we fought
on in utter darkness, but not in silence,
for as we dashed hither and thither
and fell about. the horrible reptile ever
striving to encircle me with his awful
coils, the hens fluttered and squawked
wildly. while ] shouted and yelled at
the top of my voice to try to make my
friend hear.
II had got the snake by the throat
with my right hand, while he had fixed
his teeth firmly in my left arm; but, al
though I knew 1 must have wounded
him badly. if l could not keep out of
his coils until help came he might be
able to crush me to death. Once or
twice he succeeded in getting one coil
of his huge body round my legs and
brought me down heavily as he lashed
himself about. But So far had kept
his coils off my body. How long could
do SO was a question. for l knew I
could not stand the strain much longer.
'"rhe snake had just got my legs in
another coil and brought me down
again. and I could feel him rolling me
over and those relentless coils getting
higher up my body, preparatory to
crushing out my life, when the door
was flung open and 1 heard my friend
and some natives outside. summoned
up all my strength and shouted: "A big
snake has got me! A knife, quickv My
friend, dropping his gun, snatched big
knife his bearer had luckily brought,
and with praat nroSanco Of mind knoIf
on me and the snake and cut away at
his neck behind the head till he had
hacked the head clean off. Then, with
the help of the men, he unwound the
great brute from me and pulled me out
into the open. more dead than alive.
"It was some time before could get
the numbness out of my legs sufficient