The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-02-06

The heavy vine twisted upward 10
the orchids now only fifteen feet above
his head. He looked at them with
starting eyes because swaying above
them was the monstrous. threatening
head of a boa constructor whose great
body was twisted around the vine to
which he chung.
How his keen eyes had failed to de-
tect the body of the great snake as 1t
twisted up and around the large trunk
Of the giant vine he never knew.
Death stared him in the face. If
he dropped into the river the monsters
tail could catch him ere he fell, and,
failing in that, the deadly water SER
penis would put him out Of existence.
Already the body moved sluggishly,
but his fascinated eyes did not leave
the hideous head among the orchids.
The fiat eyes regarded him with cold
hatred; the ugly mouth grinned.
He heard the distant shouts Of his
Indians. Even If they had come to
hin they could not help him.
His first downward movement would
be the signal for the beginning of the
end.
He closed his eyes and prayed. He
thought of his mother and of Alice
Blake, the girl he was to marry.
His grip loosened on the twisted
vine. so dreadfully imbued with life;
his feet slipped.
The vine moved.
He looked up and saw that the ugly
head was lowered.
Again he slipped down and again
the vine moved.
Cold sweat broke out on his body and
his face dripped.
Now he bent his body and looked
down at the tail Of the serpent. It
had loosened from the vine and was
moving to and fro like the pendulum
Of a clock.
Death above and death below! Well,
he would die fighting.
His hand found his revolver. and
he wriggled around until he could see
the head again.
It had flattened itself among the or
chids and was regarding him coldly
rs before. He would wait until it lift
ed again. and when it's throat was
presented to view he would try to
blow the head off. 1t would be diff
cult at that distance with a single
shot. and the death agonies of the rep
tile might involve his own death.
Goodell closed his yes again and
muttered a prayer as the strongest
men do in moments Of danger. The
head was lifting again and resumed Its
swaying movement. Higher, higher It
went, until the notified throat was re.
vealed.
Spat!
The bullet went over its head. His
arm was unsteady; he must try again.
Again he raised the automatic revolver,
and again it sounded on the heavy Jun.
gle air.
Spat!
The head of the reptile wagged yio-
lently and oil outlines were lost as the
bullet found its mark. The great body
trembled violently, the tail dashed to
and fro. and the vine slipped down
ward.
Charles Goodell slipped down, his
eyes ever on the horrid specter of the
descending head.
Once he glanced below and saw that
the tail was 1ashing the water. He
took &c and slipped farther down.
The great body Of the dying reptile
came down with him.
Three feet above the river bank he
could stand the horror no longer. and
he dropped, clutching at a young green
vine that swung harmlessly near.
The green vine held and broke his
fall. He swung violently to and fro,
and when Il favorable opportunity pre-
scented itself he lcosened his hold and
fell upon the ground close beside his
heap of specimen cases. Then he faint
ed away for the first time in his adven-
turous life.
He recovered consciousness almost
Immediately, for the shots had brought
back his frightened Indians, and they
gathered about him with scared looks
and pointing fingers.
He took out his emergency flask and
restored in Il measure his shattered
nerves. He sent them to the river to
look at the dead carcass OF the boa
constructor. but always they came back
and gazed at him as though upon a
spirit from another world.
Looking at his watch, he found that
three hours had passed since he had
climbed the twisted vine. It had seem
ed like fifteen minutes. No wonder he
fe.t like an old man under the consum-
ing fear Of those three horrible hours.
The continued wonder of his guides
excited his Impotence, and he drew
out o pocket mirror and looked at him.
self.
His face peered at him pale and bag
gard. His abundant hair was white
AS snow.
The wondering Indians now climbed
the tree without protest. and the mauve
orchids which had Manclled Goodelps
hair to obtain We're packed away IN
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