Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1896-04-02


| experiments and seafihg himself D.
fore the hole, the magician bera
bis mournful plairt.
For fifteen minutes ne kept n
the noise, and then from the open
ing there appeared the ugly hoode,
head of q cobra. 0uk came, wav
ing it's head back and fortIi. iss eye
cleaning with surprised Excitement
and finally BY quick novemen
the charmer seized the reptile aus
thrust it in the basket. AnotheI
hole was soon found. khis being di
rectlv at the base OF ths wall of tn,
house. The man exan,ined it feu
moments carefully. th>n began 9
70 play upon the ant
- sz1l1 - ssthered
about the performer before mos
remarkable noise came from the
house. First there was a sound az
OF escaping steam; then q sound oil
some great body striking the wall
and rubbing against the timbers.
Dust clouds came from the hole,
and the 'charmer' started back in
terror, over-turning the man behind
him. Recovering himself, he dart
ed at the hole, and thrusting his
arm In, drew out, not q cobra, but
the tail of large snake. Aston
ishment was depicted on the na-
tive's face, and horror in those of
many Of the spectators. as he stood,
holding the tip of the tail and five
feet of the body was visible.
For q moment the man hesitated.
then regaining his courage he
shouted in Hindoostanee for the
lookers-on to stand back, and, tax
ing q good grip upon the tail he
pulled gradually backward. Ont it
came, foot by foot, inch by inch.
five. ten, fifteen, sixteen feet
eighteen, was there no end-eighteen
feet of quiveiing snake flesh as large
as q mans thigh.
A quick jerk now aud the entire
was clear-at least twenty
feet in length-big enough to swal-
low q deer and yet held by a single
man. The native was. however.
not in the least discouraged. He
clung to the tail and as the huge
reptile turned towards him with an
angry hiss he gave it a swinging mo-
lion by turning slowly. Gradually
he increased his speed, turning fas-
ter and faster, until he seemed the
centre Of q wheel, the spokes of
which were the body of the python.
So rapid was the motion that the
body was perfectly straight
and it was evident that as long as
the motion could be kept up the
man was safe, but If the monster
could reach him he would in q mo-
ment be crushed in the horrible
folds of the reptile.
The lookers-on had had long
since fed, the natives had gone
shrieking up the street, the English
man alone standing by, but even be
did not know what to do, as it was
impossible to shoot the animal as it
was flying around; SO be stood for
few moments aghast at the curious
position of the man.
1t soon became apparent that the
charmer knew what he was about.
Not far from the house stood stout
flag staff foot and q half through,
Of solid teskwood and towards this
he was gradually moving. whirling
the snake faster and faster. Now
be was within twenty FIVE feet of it,
and snddenly it dawned upon the
few spectators what be was about to
do. This was to strike the head of
the reptile against the pole. Near
or he came, whirling faster and fas-
ter until the reptile stood out like
whip lash and then. with a quick
step forward, he brought the head
Of the animal against the wood with
3 crushing sound. He released his
hold and the great reptile doubled
up in convnssive folds. digging up
the earth and sending clouds of
dust into the air. finally dropping
limp and lifeless to the ground.
A wondering crowd soon sur
the dead boa, the now brave
natives expressing their opinions as
TO its size. One thing was evident,
that here was the ghost The big
snake had in some way obtained
entrance to the house, probably