ADVENTURE WITH A SNAKE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6930, 2 February 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

ADVENTURE WITH A SNAKE.

Eodsey Haxlem, a gentleman i;~ Springfield, 0.. relate, the fott°* n *» which would be almort incredibll g **?> not from a perfectly trustworthy' Bcm ? re » well authenticated in ever? 'LT*?"** Recently, in company with hi £»* ! - James and a J?* I **, Stickney, Mr Harlem wenKrtti^ hunting exped-tion to Clifton, a rom!„?- g rocky B pot near.the headwaters orTh* «• *** At one point the rooks rise to a feet or more along the stream wl L', 100 many fissures and small caves T* h,?*** mg party were winding around by a narrow path one of tbem falling hia feet scraped the aide nf Z, d m below the path until he finally eat A rock on a ledge a few feet Wow H, thoa diately recovered himself, and on Irmv' minß " the place where he had slid down th *at he was surprised to see that hia slipping, had laid bare a hole in the the rock by brushing aside some under*, ot which had concealed it. He im m ? * til called the othei-s, and soon all Ve«^ **7 on the narrow ledgo below the path I^l-°* at the opening in the rocks. After th 8 mainiDg underbush had been remo4i .■'" opening was found to be about 3x4 ivU • size. A damp wind was blowing from .i 3, mouth, of the opening, with a consider,!? draught. Tiie party made a cursory ei ,- 8 nation, one by one, with a bit of ullV'i candle, which showed nothing but a na tortuous passage, about twenty feet snlelTl' turning abruptly to the right. Th» fT was strewn with the bones of bird 3 and it animala. Believism that it was only the many caves with which the re<ri abounds, the party, _w;th the exception Mr. Harlem, who was much interred in ts cave, abandoned the tcautioned him to be on his guard ao & -^ t ° e? cealed clefts and told him to fire Vis m?% he needed help. Harlem, after li-h'fn D candle and getting his shotgun ready ? f * ■ action, entered the opening on handi - knees. The bottom of the pxssage was d"~ bot the air blowing through it waa damp an-i sickening, causing the candle to burn dim and blue. Groping cautiously f or abat? twenty feet, the adventurer came to th« tat" which led into a larger chamber of the'ci™ where he was shocked to feel something round and smooth. Starting back wi'h terror, he raised the candle high above h : head ana looked down. There lay the coiit of a huge serpent. In his terror ilr. Harlem let fall the candle and remained motionley with fear on his knees. As lack would have it the candle did not go out but remained sticking in the sand on the floor of the cave and throwing a dim light over the tcene Like a flash the hideous head of the serpen*darted up from the floor and the coils begin* to move. Mr. Harlem said he could have fled had not something seemed to chain hini to the spot. It seemed as if enormous weights were hun<j on every member o! his body, absolutely prohibiting flight. Th» serpent's eyes appeared to give forth a blue phosphorescent light, as they flashed in the gloom. Slowly the creature bejjan to move its head in circles, as if to produce the same effect as the mesmerist, who puts his subject to sleep by passes with his hands. Gradually the coils drew nearer to their victim. Mr. Harlem says he knew all the time that the. head was approaching by degrees and that the circles were gradually narrowing. He, knew that he was experiencing what is called the fascination of serpentß," but found it impossible to break the spell. His nerves seemed completely powerless and his pulse seemed to stop and his skin was moist with cold perspiration. Nevertheless, his mind was reasonably clear and the events of hia life ran in quick succession before his mental vision. With anguish he thought of the home which he had left but a few honrs before. The feeling of helplessness seemed to increase. Suddenly he thought of his gun. Ho dared not remove hi 3 eyes from the snake long enough to look for the gun, which he had dropped on the floor in his excitement, because he felt that the moment he turned away from the creature it would be upon him. He groped on the floor with his right hand and at last found the gun and raised it to his side. The snake wa3 too near for him to raise the gun to his shoulder and he simpiy held it at his side and reached back until he felt the trigger. At the deafening report hefell back unconscious and knew no more until he found his friends bathing his face in vinegar and water. It seeraa that his com-. panions, as soon as they heard the report of the gun, crawled into the cave and foiind him lying unconscious. Their first thought was tbat he had shot himself, but a few crops of water soon revived him. Mr. Harlem was removed to a neighbouring farmhouse, where he soon recovered sufficiently to be taken home. He is only just recovering from his nervous prostration. From the neighbours'it was learned that a travelling show which had had an exhibition near there some time ago had lost a boa constrictor, and it is believad that this was tliß snake in the cave. It was, Mr. Harlem says, about fourteen feet in length and as thick as a man's thigh. Residents in the vicinity complain of having lost poultry and turkeys in a rrysterious manner. No farther trace of the snake had been discovered.