The evening world., 1889-07-25
MRS. PYTHON CONE.
Her SnakeShip Believed to Be no Longer
Among the Living.
v~ariegated Scales Found In the
Denmark's Bilge Water.
Capt. Rigby's Efforts to Find the Mon
ster's Body Still Unsuccessful.

Capt. Rigby and the four engineers on
board the National Lin Steamship Denmark
have continued their search i'll the ships
stokehole for the elusive Mrs. Python, who,
as every one supposed. had concealed herself
somewhere in the hold.
They got down as far AS the bilge. without
finding any taco of the fugitive. All the
dark corners were carefully examined with
n calcium light. aud even the en,rails of the
donkey engine, where her royul suakeship was
last seen, were thoroughly illuminated, but
no Mrs. Python showed up.
There were plenty of rats, and Engineer
Baxter stoutly maintained that il Mrs.
Python had any brains at all she would have
stopped between decks and set up n perma-
nent establishment. She could have had all
the fat, iuicy rats she wanted. and there was
no reason why she shouldn't have been Com-
Portable there tor the rest of her natural
life.
If she had behaved herself properly, the
engineers and stOkers would have been very
glad of her society during the long, to iious
voyages.
Engineer Gillespie wouldn't have been I'M
willing to make u pet of her, though he admits
that her first visit to the englne-room rather
rntt ed him for the moment. He has been
working so long, however down in the stutfY,
narrow room in momentarv expectation of
seeing her poke her head up through some
hole in the floor, that now he has become
7 quite used to the sensation, and has for some
time past only been anxious to realize his
anticlpatlnns.
1t seems, however, that the hopes of the
engineers, as well as the ca tain, are
doomed to be dashed. Discoveries were
made this morning which lead Capt. Rugby
TO revise all his previous theories and accept
the proposition that Mrs. Python Is no
longer among the living.
When the bi.ges were examined and no
signs of Mrs. Python could BE- found a
bucketful of the bile water was pumped up
and put in the hands Of the ships chemist
for analysis
The la ter announces this morning that he
has made a very ;art ing find. The find ~
nothing more nor less than n number If small
triangular scales of variegated and assorted
culors
Further ANALYSIS showed that such scales
are only produced on the bucks of pythons
and in view of this proof Cap. Ri by feels
that he must acccp' the evidence of Mrs.
Python's death as conclusive.
She must have got down into the bilge
wa'er and drowned, and as the scales could
only have been washed Oft after advanced
decompositlon hal been reached she must
have died very soon after she paid her last
visit to the engine-room.
What has become of her remains is a
mystery, but the theory that she may have
been washed out through the big steam
pumps n sections ant gone to feed the
sharks and cOGtish on the way over furnishes
a plausible explanation of her complete dis
up earanCe, with The exception of he scales.
Tie latter may therefore be taken as GER
tam evidence of her painful and untilnely
demise. and tn ugh the engineers and stokers
on the Denmark cannot help feeling a sense
of relief now that the long suspense and un-
certainty is over, the loss OF SO charming a
companion fills them with profound and
lasting regret.