Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1904-12-01
the montaria was well sheltered from
the SQuall which swept over the forest

of the boat; but the almost unclothed:
boatmen sat in their places, laughing
god-naturedly at the drenching they
received.
1t was over in a few minutes. The
gusts subsided and the fref1ies began
to sparkle again. We heard, too,
singular scraping or rasping noise in
one of the great trees overhead, and:
some peccaries nearby suddenly grunt-:
ed sharply. We had carbine in the:
boat, and Coutinho, who is fond of
sport, reached for it, and then stood
up, saying to me in loud voice that.
he meant to chance shot by sound at
the peccaries .
It was SO dark that could not see
him as he stood up; but I heard him:
cock the gun, and was momentarily;
expecting to hear the report. when a.
strange lisping sound CAME to my
ears, and something seemed to strike
him. l heard the blow He pitched,
headlong out of the boat into the.
river. a '- i
The Indians cried out in alarm, and
all save old Samuel jumped out onto
the bank. Countinho meantime re-
gained his legs and sprang ashore,
for the water was not very Deep;
what is it, Coutinho?" I called out
I had been lying outstretched under
the folda.
Something. struck me-knocked me
out Of the boat!" he gasped.
l rose to my feet, and, taking
match out of my pocket, struck it,
then held it up. I hardly done SO
when a blow which felt like that from
heavy mallet caught me on the back,
just between the shoulders, and the
next moment 1, too, was sprawling in
the water and mud outside the boat
The breath was quite knocked out Of
me for moment, but I contrived to-
scramble ashore.
Old Samuel, meantime, had jumped
ashore; the montaria was deserted.
We were all there together now on
the bank, amidst the trailing vines
and dropping boughs.
"Have you any idea what struck
us?" I whispered. ::
NO. he said. cit seemed to me
that some one had swung a sledge, or
| big mallet''
We listened, but could hear nothing
now save the drip of the water from:
| the trees. The Indians stood huddled
| together behind us. In reply to our:
| questions, they protested that they:
! did not know what to think of the;
thing. reached for my matches, but.
they were wet from my tumble over
board Coutinho, like good soldier.
had held fast to his gun and brought
| it ashore with him. We stood there
in doubt and apprehension for some
| time. Samuel at length whispered to
me that he had few matches, and
I lighted one Of them; but we were
able to distinguish nothing distinctly.
l had number of old letters in my
pockets, and hit en- the idea Of max
ing torch at the end of a stick five
or six feet long; and with the torch
thus improvised, I took step for
ward, thrusting it over the montaria.
For a moment or two the sudden
glare in such utter darkness blinded
me; but cry from the Indians made
me aware that they saw something.
I held the light up higher, and then,
just as the paper burned cut and fell,
| I discerned an enormous mOttled SER
pent hanging head downward from a
great nut tree directly over the boat
''Sucuriaba! Sucuriaba!" the Indians
muttered; for that is the name they
give to the great waterloo of this
region. It was that great swinging rep
tiles head which had knocked the
lieutenant and myself out Of the boat
All unwittingly we had taken refuge
under the tree where it was hanging
probably with the intent to capture {
peccary from the drove which we hat
startled 1t was enough to make ones
flesh creep to think that we had sa
: there through the shower with tina
boa's head not yard above our own
and it's wonderful that the creature
had not seized one or more of us with
in it's folds.
At first sight of it we all beat
hasty retreat; but taking courage a
!, length, considering that the snake wa
hanging in tree, I made torch Q
another letter and moved cautiousl
forward, Coutinho following me close
ly with his carbine rested across m
= shoulder.
: The boa was still hanging there, it
+ sinuous neck curved outward.
: moved it's head slightly towards us, a
$ the light fell on it's large round eye.
It Coutinho fired instantly. The bias
r of the powder blew out the torch, an
;. we both dashed backward in. ma
Y haste to get out Of the way.
j. But moment after we heard th
a boa drop, partly in the water, part]
l. on the boat. For long time the rel
g tile thrashed about, splashing th
= water tremendously. We dared NJ
d approach it in the dark. and the Il
ID dams asserted that it's mate woul
n sure to be near by. My stock Of o]
1t letters was exhausted, and no succe'
a attained the efforts Of the boatmen
4 kindle fire of the wet underbrus
X We were therefore, compelle
i, to remain there in the dripping fore
to till daybreak, when the sucuriaba W;
lx found To he living across the hCs