_THE SNAKE THAT DISAPPEARED_
That night Cavan remarked that we were now getting into the big snake
district.
"Big snake feller here plenty. Sho' he scar' yo'," said Cavan.
"How long?" I asked.
"Some like a tall tree, some not so much," said Cavan. And then
they discussed the snakes, how they encircle wild boars and other
big animals and "squeeze 'em inter a pulp an' eat 'em." It was
interesting, but I found myself looking out into the jungle and
imagining that every branch I could see was a giant snake.
That night I was awakened and felt my hair standing up and quivering
and prickling at each root, for, hanging down from the tree in front
of me, to which was suspended the foot end of my hammock, was a great
snake. I couldn't stir at first. He lowered his head and swung it
about like a pendulum, finally resting it on the foot of my hammock.
Then, raising his head, he seemed to see me. In the dim light from a
pale moon and a ghastly glow from the coals of our fire I could see
the snake's bright eyes and his tongue darting in and out.
I tried to shout. I tried to look about and see if Lewis was still
asleep, to see if he couldn't help me. I tried to call Jimmy, to see
if he was awake, but couldn't seem to turn my head.
The snake slid further down the tree and glided across my stomach. He
was so long that much of him was still draped up the tree and over a
limb. He raised his head and opened his jaws, as if laughing at my
helplessness, and I thought of many things.
I thought that it was a silly thing to have ventured off into these
wilds. I wondered why I had not been satisfied to stay in a white
man's country and not butt into the wild jungles of the Indians. I
thought of everyone at home and finally decided that no snake was
going to finish me that way without one good struggle. I looked
keenly at his neck to decide just where his throat was, located it
back of his jaws and, as he lunged at me, I let out a terrific yell
and clutched both hands in a life-and-death grip around the neck of
the great snake.
He tried to yank away and his strength lifted me upright from the
hammock, his whole body quivered. Still I clung on. Then he began to
writhe horribly and to thrash about, swaying me this way and that.
In the struggle I fell from the hammock to the ground, still with my
deadly grip about that snake's neck. With my fingers clutched in a
death grip about his throat, I felt that I would be better able to
defend myself. I must have had this thought during the process of
falling, for when I struck the ground with a terrific jolt I found my
fingers clutched in the holster of my revolver.
Instantly I was on my feet, looking this way and that for the snake.
There was no snake in sight! Where had he gone? I looked about again
and discovered that there had been no snake at all!
It was the result of my talk with Jimmy and Cavan the night before
about mammoth snakes. The perspiration was dripping from my face. I
looked about stealthily to see if any of my companions had witnessed
my dream struggles, but all seemed to be sleeping peacefully, so I
climbed back into my hammock, yet the dream so upset me that I was
unable to sleep any more. However, it was almost dawn.
"How did you sleep last night?" asked Lewis, when he sat up in his
hammock.
"Bully," I declared, giving him a sharp look to see if he was trying
to kid me about my foolish dream, but either he had not awakened or
else was a good actor, for he never let on that he knew about it. My
arm was sore for days where I bruised it in striking a rock as I
landed beneath my hammock. It was the only bad dream I had during my
months in the jungle, but it was quite enough.