The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-23
A ssake rnle.

4 81.
here u make tale of extraordinary, fascina
ting, thrilling. entertaining, absorbing crushing
almost devouriug interest Those who like mel
tnings-and most everybody Is fond of Snaix-
VIII be hugely entertained With the noble ant
agreeable animal and with the novel and orgiua
expedients 10 serpent hunting which this tale un
iolds 1t Ia told by that indomitable sportsman o
the jungies Capt. Mayne Reid. "Groot willem,
or Big William, is Dutch Boor of Southern Al
rica, and Is ons Of party of six whose huntin,
expedition into the interior IL related in mos
verifaoie and graphic manner by the Captaia.-
This adventure, besides deeply interesting to ,h,
reader, and diverting his attention from the dis
comforts Of the season by fixing it on the Boa AND
the hot plains of Africa, enables us to filI M ,
space which, in the absence of all news, we and 4
hard to fill In any other way.
GRooT wILLEM AND THE PYTHON
Groot Wiilem awoke from his nan lin camnl no
fore the others. 1t still wanted nearly two honr,
of sunset, and the hunter, observing a reddish oh
ject at a distance that looked like some animal
shouldered his roer Qarge Dutch gup) and proceed
ed towards 1t. He took with him one of the bnck
dogs well trained and favorite hound. that nan.
ally accompanied hm-even on . stalking expedi
ticn.
The red object which he had seen was near N,
pr precipice that bounded it upon that side There
were some trees growing along the foot of the cliff
and the hunter calculated on being able to get I
shot at the animal, whatever it was, from behind
the cover cf these trees. He continued ON up the
valley and at length got near enough to tell what
he was stalking at.
It was q small antelope, with little erect horns
four inches in length The upper parts of its body
were 8 deep red and underneath white, while its
snout and face were black. The little creature
was higher at the Group than at the wthers, and
entirely without tail, or with tail only one inch
long that wore the appearance of q stump Grooi
Willem was intent on stalking 1t, and having its
ribs for . roast at supper He was able to ap
preach without any difficulty, as it was close to
the bushes, and appeared not to be very shy:
There was but the creature itself-a little buck
and rarely is more than one, or at most two of
these antelopes seen together.
Groot Willem was at length within range and
was about to level his roer on the game, when the
movements of the little animal caused him to hold
his hand. Its actions were very odd, indeed. II
was not brousng-it was not standing still-it " ~
not running away from the ground-and yet it was
In constant motion!
As ready stated, it was close In to the edge of
the timber, where a number Of small olean trees
stood tbinly over the ground. In front of these
the little buck was dancing about in very original
manner. Now 1t ran to the right-anon to the
left-now zgzag-now it started suddenly back.
wards-then ran forwards agaiu-al the while its
eyes turning in particular direction and shining
brilliantly, If the animal itself was in state OF
unusual excitement
Groot Wiem looked to discover the cause Of
this odd mar Guvering, on the part of the ante.
lope; something among the olean trees seemed to
attract the notice of the animal On this some
thing the eyes of the hunter rested with wonder.
ment; and for some moments he was unable to
make out what it WAS. He could perceive large
glittering mass near the bottom of one of the
trees; but this at first sight appeared withou.
any particular form, and lay perfectly motion
less.
AS Groot Willem continued to gaze upon il,
however, itigradnaly assumed form, or rather his
eyes gradually traced one, for the mass had not
yet moved
A hideous form it was-though of smooth and
regular proportions-it was the form of a reptile
a serpent
A serpent of enormous size, for the mass Of its
body, gathered mp in sort of irregular coil, CO.
vered the ground over space of several square
feet, while the body itself seemed thicker than
the thighs of a full grown man The head of the
reptile rested upon the top of the coiled body, and
ON running his eye along the mottied and glisten-
ing outlines, Groot Wilem perceived that its tail
was doubled around the stem of the olean wood,
and held it with firm grasp-for the serpent be-
Ionged to a family whose tails are furnished with
horny claws like hooks, giving them q power of
prehension in this member equal to that of hand.
This is the family of the Boidc or "boas" to which
the one In question was gener ally related. TWAS
python-the Python Natalensis
Groot Willem only knew it as the 'rock snake, +"
aad that is its ordinary d. signation-given it on
account of the fact of its being a dweller among
rocks and stony places. 1t might very properly
be called ''rock boa," which would distinguish it
from its cousins of America, the anaconda or
water boa," aud the true boa which is denizen
of the forest, and which would therefore merit the
title of stree boa."
Notwithstanding the difference of the dwelling
place of the boas and pythons their habits are
very similar. They lie in wait for their prey,
capture it with their strong retractile teeth and
crushing it to death by construction, swallow it
whole, though Of en- the animal sw allowed is much
larger than the diameter of their own b,dies.-
Their elastic muscles, however, enable them to
effect their purpose, aided by the slippery saliva
which is copiousiy supplied from their glands.
When Groot Willem first saw this great python,
Its head was lying over the coils of its body and
motionless. Presently, the head was raised up
with the neck, and iseveral feet of the body; and
side, with sort Of vibratory motion. The jaws
we're widely extended, SO that the sharp r. rrac
tile teeth were plainly visible and the forked
tongue at intervals was shot forward and cleaned
In The sun. The eyes Of the reptile sparkled like
fire.
1t was fearful object to look upon And yet
the antelope did not appear to dread it. On the
contrary, it kept drawing nearer and nearer, ex
cited either by curiosity or fascination
There are those who ridicue the idea Of fdsciaa-
ttUN ou tuo part Oi ceH pChtS' ASut Wo dTe
to believe in such power or not, we cannot deny
the fact. Certain it is, that whether it be curl
0sity, fear or fascaation, both birds and animals
are moved to approach not only serpents, but
crocodiles, until within reach OF the jaws that
opened to devour them. Certain 10 this, and vouch-
ed for by the testimony Of many q correct OBJ
server.
Groot Wilem witnessed the srauge phenome.
non. When the buck got within some six or eight
feet Of the py hon the head of the latter suddenly
shot out; and before the antelope which now ap-
peared making an effort to escape, could spring
out of the way. it was seized by the teeth Of the
reptile and dragged towards the tree
A number of quick coRtortioDs followed, and
when Groot Willem looked again, the red body Of
the little antelope was almost hidden under the
thick folds of the spotted Python. that writhing
around it was crushing it to death!
Now it chauced that the sight Of the great sers
pent was very gratifying to the eyes of good
Wilem-far more than any antelope. The
reason was, that friend of his, . young Doctor,
who was fond of the study Of herpetoiogy, had re.
quested him 10 bring home the skins Cf such rare
saakes as he might fall in Without especially
that of the great "rock snake" Here was .
chance for the akin, which, up TO this time, good
Willem had searched for in vain.
He had another reason for being gratifed; and
that was the splendid trophy it would be, provi>
ded he succeeded in obtaining it. To kill . snake
twenty feet long, and half Is thick ~ man-for
the python appeared to be both-would be no
small triumph The antelope was forgotten and
:he snake became the object of the hunters skill
Good Willem had no skill about him. He knew
of NO mode of attaching this new sort of emmy,