St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1892-02-27
STRENGTH or 4 PYTHON.

| STRENGTH OF 4 PYTHON.
An Fast Indian Serpent That Held slx O,eu
4 In Check.
The elderly proprietor Of . coast
steamship limo who. in his younge,
dayA saw not little Of the rough side
Of sailors life, recently told . story
which illustrates the great strength Of
certain large serpents Of the Eas,
Indiea We had been speaking Of the
force Of elephants whales. lions and
other large vertebrate, and estimating
the power which it Is possible to con
| centrate in muscular tissue. Il was
this that called out my friends story.
The Dutch. he said. who control Su'
matra, Java. and several smaller isl
ands to the eastward Of Java, have
been accustomed to set free certain
cattle in favorable localities Of their
possession, In order that they may. BY
their increase. furnish . cheap beel
supply, both for the natives and for
government use.
When the narrator was about eighteen
years old he was supercargo on board
. brig which made annual voyages into
East Indian waters after sandalwood
Tho vessel was lying in . bay ON the
coast Of an island to the north of Ii.
NOR; and the logs. or sections OF the
precious wood, were drawn down to
the beach from . table-land two or
three miles in the interior by q Dutch
proprietor who had in his service six
natives and a many bullocks. These
animals were driven tandem-in single
6le-on account of the narrowness of
the trail which led for some distance
across marsh amongst huge trees. and
then assembled through rocks and crags
TO the dryer plateau where the santalum
grows The logs were transported ON
. narrow boat-shaped drag" without
wheels or rollera
The young supercargo, who was fond
Of hunting and adventure. often ac-
companied this odd team in its trips
from the shore to the plateau. On the
way up he often rode upon the the drag
with the old Dutchman, who was stout
and disinclined to pedestrian exercise.
Upon one of these occasions, when
the team had passed nearly through
The swampy forest tract and was near
the foot OF the craggy ascent the super
cargo was amazed and startled BY .
singular sight In the obscurity Of the
dense foliage. above his head, he saw
something which he could compare to
nothing save huge, animated barber's
pole drop like fash from the branches
Of the great trees which ovcrhung the
path, and enfold the OK next In front Of
the rude vehicle in which he and Myn-
heer Huydecoper were sitting.
It was python of large size. superb
~ marked From . large limb, ten or
fifteen feet above the OK, the snake had
dropped or SWING down, and had
thrown fold of its supple body about
the neck of the poor animal, swift rs .
tigers spring.
The natives took to their heels The
OK thus fearfully beset, beloved with
alright and, plunging headlong, jerked
the drag 50 violently that the fat Dutch
man was sent rolling over its side.
Meantime the alarm was communicated
to the bullocks in advance. Erecting
their tails, they bounded forward along
the trail; and the drag. catching against
. tree-trunk or some other obstruction,
was detached and left behind the cattle
in their mad flight.
For some distance they dragged their
hapless mate after them. The python
had kept it, fold around the ox's neck.
and was carried along with them. The
Of the natives. the below
ing Of the oxen. the hoarse shouts Of
the deshy Dutchman, and the snap
ping Of tackle. made the spectacle an
one. Tho reptile, Infatuated
BY the rough usage 1t was receiving.
dashed right and left with the ten or
twelve feet Of its body that trailed
after the OF
Then was exhibited an example Of
Ii tremendous strength. Its tail came
In contact with tree beside the path.
Il threw . turn around the trunk, and
the fleeing bullocks were
leaped and surged irrcgularly forward.
Like stiff iron hook, the tail Of the |
python held its turn around the tree,
while its shining body was stretched
taut as . ships cable. Its fold around |
The ox's neck frightened till the choked |
tongue protruded and its eyes |
bulged; still it held fast to OK and tree,
nor could the terrified and plunging |
team tear It away.
The young supercargo. dashing for.
ward. discharged his fowling piece.
oaded with shot, 1t the reptiles body.
without producing any perceptible ef-
'ect. But Mynheer Huydecoper. who
By this time had gathered himself up,
low ran forward with moro efficacious
weapon. He had taken from the drag
! long saw which was used by the
vorkmen for saving the tree trunks
INTO logs Raising this In both hands,
70 brought it down across the serpent
- he would have done upon . log. The
fleet was instantaneous The python's
,ody separated in two parts, and the
ken plunged forward, leaving the
undered halves Of the monster with.
ng in the path. The two men beat the
eptile's head into quietude with leverA
{ was found that this portion Of its
,ody measured nearly nineteen feet in
ength, while the tail was not quite ten
Get long; and near the place where the
aw had divided it. the snake was
wenty one inches in circumference.
Of course the frantic bullocks did not
xert their strength IN concert They
1ere too crazy with fright for that
lad they pulled together. and In .
traipht line. undoubtedly thu sernent
rould have been torn either from the
rec or from his hold upon the bullock's
eck.-Youth's Companion
A FORBIDDEN CITY.
n Axtec Town which Has Never Been a.,
Entered BY White Man.
Mr.. Juan Alvarez, who lately rel
arned from an exploring expedition in
he southwest part of the Mexican re-