The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-09-04

me. lay in the folds OF a great boa.
constructor!
Had l been in the best of physical
condition, unarmed l should have
been no match for this great reptile,
and situated as | was-practically in
ly fall an easy victim.
The thought of my position made
me frenzied. 1 attempted to regain
my feet, but now my left leg was
pinioned with my right, and, strug-
gle as l would, 1 could not free them.
In frantic rage 1 clutched the Shiny
coils, to fling them from me; but
only to be dashed down with stun
ming force.
Again and again 1 tried to wrench
myself free, but all in vain. With
clenched fists 1 beat the great body,
and e%ndeavored to tear the creature
to pieces with my nails, but the thick
scales were as proof against my at
tack as armout-plate. Meanwhile we
rolled over and over in the river
bed, as with strength born of des-
peration I fought the loathsome mon
ster, which was slowly crushing the
life out of ME. The thought Of my
pistol flashed through my mind, and
l felt for my holster, but it was emp
ty; I had placed the weapon in my
s~addle-bags. Frantically I endeav-
ored to tear from my body the ever
tightening folds, but, struggle as I
would, it was of nc avail. l vas
fast becoming exhausted, a dizziness
seized me, and the trees and shrubs
seemed to be tumbling and whirling
about in wild conclusion. Suddenly
my strength seemed to desert ms al
together, and I ceased to struggle.
while just above my face, swaying
now to the right, 10 to the left, was
the snakes head, like a pendulum of
death, whose every stroke was bring
ing me nearer to destruction.
Strange thoughts fitted across my
mind; incidents of boyhood life long
since forgotten were brought wildly
to memory, and l seemed to stand
again in the old homestead with my
friends about me, though all were
strangely silent. AS I watched, the
scene began to melt away like a
mist.
A binding fash, accompanied by a
d%eafening report; the rush of a dark
body over me; then all was darkness.
When next l opened my eyes my na-
tive guide was rapidly u%nwinding the
now lifeless serpent from my body,
while on the ground beside me lay q
blood-stained dagger and a pistol,
still smoking. Having freed me from
the reptile, Juan brought water and
proceeded to remove the worst of
the filth from my person. The cold
water also served to revive me, but
1 lay helplessly upon the soft grass
while my guide re%captured my horse.
This done, Juan assisted me into the
saddle and supported me until q
settlement Vas reached, where I re.
NAMED at the house of a friendly ma.
tive until l had recovered somewhat
from the effects of encounter. My
nerves, however, remained in a
wretched state for months; my
dreams were haunted by great dra.
CONS and h~ydraheaded monsters, who
chased me over river and jungle.
Just as they were on the point of
crushing me to death | would awake
with a wild yell, bathed in cold per-
spiration and trembling in every
limb, but by degrees this wore of
until I became my natural self.
Juan, good fellow that he was, Sc
cured and preserved for me the skin
of the reptile which 50 nearly made
an end of me. It measured fourteen
and a half feet in length and eleven
inches in circumference. In due sea.
son I had it mounted as a little souve.
mir of my sojourn in the Philippine
Islands, and with the revolver and
dagger which put an end to its ca.
reer.-The Wide World Magazine.