Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1891-12-26

I
and then reckoning me to follow,
turned abruptly TO the left, and led
me fully 400 yards before we reached
the point from which the sound had
started
There We found a tall, sinewy
native lying fiat upon the ground
with every muscle quiverins as ne
listened, through the sound of our APP
proaeh, for any movement on the
part OF the game he had locat-
ed.
A hurried conversation took place,
and one of the men disappeared to
make a detour to certain point.
Then the tall fellow who had found
the quarry beckoned me to follow
him.
Skirting along the side OF an ele-
plant track, he led me about 200 feet
forward, avoiding every twig and hold
ing back every leaf rs we slowly made
our way to spot where the path
narrowed perceptibly.
AN EXCITING MOMENT.
Quivering with excitement and point
ing with his sineWy arm, my guide i'm
| dicated a large tree some distance in
front, one OF the boughs OF which
seemed gnarled and twisted in way
! such as no other tree ever was. Sud
denly a portion OF the bough seemed
/ to fall, and swayed to and fro.
| | saw that it was the head and neck
| Of huge python, doubtless disturbed
| by its instructive knowledge OF our
presence. In an instant my rifle was
at my shoulder, for | hate a snake
more than anything else in the world
\ touch recalled to me the conscious
ness that was guest, not a princi-
pal IN the hunt, and | reluctantly
dropped my rifle and watched my
guide.
Telling me not to move under any
circumstances, he slipped into the
path and discharged an arrow in the
direction OF the reptile TO my sur
prise, the missile whizzed harmlesslv
above the snake, and fen away up the
path These natives are magnificent
marksmen, and I could not under
stand why 50 easy mark was miss.
ed
When | turned my head found
that the native had disappeared. and,
remembering his injunction, stood
stlll. 4 faint rustling noise attracted
my attention and, looking closely,
saw thin thread, which had evident
y been attached to the arrow. swiftly
drawn along forward and then re-
placed by stouter cord. This, then,
explained why the arrow had been
shot over the reptile
The python seemed little disturbed
ut the rustling made by the cord. but
remained upon the alert BY and by
the cord frightened and then appeared
to move by jerks, as ii something were
being drawn along BY it, while heard
the sound Of approaching footballs.
The python raised its head
stretched the long sinuous upper part
Of It's body in the air. and gazed down
the path. Then, with its eyes blazing
Ike stars, its body thiekened and
withdrew back to the branch, coiled
and ready for action.
The footsteps came nearer and near
er, and at last there appeared in the
center OF the path, approaching from
the direction from which we had come.
a goat, having stick about four inch !
es long passed through the nostrils. to
which was attached the cord that had
-A 1850 '~-A - ttlG dEIbN.
a LIVING BAIT.
This arrow had been shot forward
toward the point where the man who
had made the detour had gone, ready |
to receive it. Alter shooting, the ma |
tive who sent the arrow had gone back |
and attached the string to goat.
Taking the cord attached, the fore |
most man had drawn it along until /
the goat, feeling the constant gentle |
pull at the stick in her nostrils. had /
walked quietly forward in obedience to
the string.
] learned later that the goat had
been carried by the tenth man. who \
followed at distance to avoid the
nal.
The animal appeared to have no
knowledge whatever OF the presence OF
the python, and walked patiently
along following the drawing OF the
cord. As it passed where / stood. it
evidently scented me and bleated. AS
1t did so the python raised it's head
with quick angry Jerk. Icould see
its eyes blaze again.
A jerk OF the cord set the animal
moving again, and it was now within
few feet OF the Dough around which
the reptile was coiIed.
AS it passed underneath, the folds
OF the huge snake could be seen work
ing as though forcing the length Of the
body out Of the coils around the limb.
and into that part which was free.
Another moment, and the black
crest raised itself several feet into the
air. For an instant it swayed to and
iro, as il gathering momentum, and
then, with sudden dart, the head
shot forward in a downward direct
ION and struck the goat between the
There was loud bleat OF mingled
pain and terror, % swishing around
OF dark coils, a fluttering OF dead
leaves, and then saw the goat
completely enveloped by the coils OF
the snake and dead already
The natives were now CLOSING i'm