Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1892-07-08
CAPTURING A PYTHON.
A NOVEL COMBAT WITNESSED
IN AN INDIAN RIVER.
How Three Men Worried the Monster Rep
tilo Into Subnission-Twistin the
Tail of a Snake as "a Means
of Capture.


tho great Geological Gardens OF Lon
don. for living specimen Of the
python. the largest member of the
family OF large serpents whose hab-
itation is the lowlands and estuar es
OF the sea coast in certain parts of the
tropics and OF which territory Bur-
nah forms a part. He made search
and Inquiry on all his many journeys
into the jungles and although every
native fisherman and hunter in u
radius of 100 miles was on the qui
vive to capture python. month after
month passed by and still the report
went TO England that no capture OF
the desired kind had yet been made.
A standing reward largo enough to
seem quite q fortune to the simple
natives was offered by the missionary
for full grown python. and the mat
ter became almost a monomania in
his anxiety to procure the great
snake but still all effort was unavail-
ing and nearly year passed without
success
Mr. Blank was in the cabin OF the
missionary boat deeply engaged in
the mysteries of some theological
work; the Karen boatmen were al
most asleep on their thwarts yet me-
chemically keeping up the steady
stroke of their oars when great out
cry was raised by the old fellow at the
steering oar: "A rah unway gee! va
dem AM" "A great snake in the
water" AT IA bound Mr. Blank was
out of the cabin and eagerly scanning
the water for a sight OF the cause Of
the steersman's shout
Sure enough some fifty yards in ad-
vance OF the boat, he could see. raised
some two feet above the water. the
head OF an immense snake and for n
prodigious distance behind the head
could be discerned the convolutions of
his body actively exerting every
muscle to escape from the neighbour
hood of the boat and as the python is
far swifter traveller in the water
than on the shore he was making
good progress and rapidly widening
the distance between him and his I'M
welcome neighbors.
AS soon as DIR. Blank saw before
him the very object that he had been
searching for SO long. and perceiving
al the same time that it was certainly
the largest python he had ever seen
he became even more excited than
the steersman himself and with a
shout ordered his men to pull as if for
life adding the promise of liberal re-
wards TO all in case OF capture.
Under these Inducements the men
bent to their work with such energy
that the tough oak oars sprang at
every stroke and the rowlocks fairly
smoked with the friction put upon
them. while the boat seemed TO fy
through the water This speed soon
brought the parties to the chase near
together, and il became evident that
the python would quickly be over
ahuled. But how to capture him
even then was the question. Blank
was magnificent swimmer himself
and his boatmen. like all natives OF
that coast were AS much at home in
the water as on land. but the idea of
attacking a monstrous serpent in the
water with the hope OF taking him
alive would seem at first taought to
be too preposterous to be entertained
for n moment just that however
was what our dominic had resolved on
doing. and with that plan in view he
ordered two OF the men to cease row.
ing and prepare to follow him into
the water
1t is strong proof of the confidence
these men had in their leader that
they did not hesitate an instant but
did as he directed them. and in less
time than it takes to tell it. Blank was
stripped to his close fitting under.
clothes. while his two assistants. by
a quick turn OF the wrist loosened
the strips of cotton cloth they had
around their loins, and stood as nude
as when they came into the world.
ready to plunge into the river when
the word should be given. Mean
while Blank unrove the light halyards
from the little sail the boat sometimes
carried and rove the end into a slip
moose; then carefully coiling it, hung
it over his neck and as the boat had
now drawn up almost beside the APP
parently exhausted serpent he gave
the word and all three plunged into
the water
The great snake started again,
frightened by the swimmers but be-
fore he could gather any Roadway
Blank seized him blythe tail. and by
a quick jerk. completely brought him
to a standstill. Enraged out OF his
usual sluggishaess, the python turnsd
with wonderful quickness TO seize his
rash assailant but in an instant Blank
dove under the water while one Of
the Karens caught the tail and jerked
1t as his master had done before.
These tactics were kept up until tho
snake apparently lost his temper
turning and thrashing until the water
was beaten to ioam but never able
to seize one OF his lively enemies
either in his great jaws or in his coils
A few minutes OF this sort OF work
supplementing his previous exertions
sufficed to so exhaust the python that
his motions became far less active
and Blank watching his chance
passed tho slip moose luckily over the
creatures hend and drew IL tight.
This brought on a iiercer struggle