The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-24
pear me" said l; 4what a very large

Dear me-" said 1; what very large
appetite"
at all He'd eat twice as many more. and
you and me, and all. Rabbits we give
them. and rats; and this chapll have 20
get a pig or sheep or something to do him
good Alive? Yes, Of course; but they XIII
them quicker Than you or | could. They
lust curl around them and they're dead
before you could say knife.
/ said knife" under my breath, and
for my comfort tried to imagine the swift
ness of the pigs death. How often are
they fed?" 1 asked.
about once a fortnight. This python
was fed last night; If you come tomorrow
your ask If it's the same one, it'll have
swelled so much. It's the food doing him
good. He'll hardly move now for fort
night You can touch tslis one IL you
like and If you're quick enough about 1t.
The impulse that leads one to dangle
ones feet over precipice made me accept
the invitation. The keeper opened a tiny
door in the python's cage, and, just with
In. the thickest part of the huge green
coll was lying. l placed my hand on the
quivering shining skin, while the keeper
watched the reptiles head. Suddenly,
"Thatll do. Wo! Billy" said he. slam
ming the door as the snake raised its
evil head and darted out vibrating fork
ed thread from between its jaws. Thine
TO clear out when he lifts his head; hed
be out and have you in another second. :"
But doesn't IL take a minute or two
to unravel itself?" ! asked, when 1 had
recovered.
"a minute or two! Just about as long
as 1t takes a fly to wink its eye-thats
all the time he wants. He won't keep you
waiting longer than that. They'll take
me as soon as you, OF anybody else. Clev-
er? No, they're not clever. Snakes
aren't as clever as they would be If they
had more brains; their brains are TOO
small But they know me all right-they
know me by the rattle Of my keys when
] come to feed them. When | come in
the dark sometimes ! can hear that
twenty-five foot python jumping about the
cage like a good un, and l can't open the
door sometimes TO give him his meat. He'd
go for me same as If was a fowl; and
when he's hungry / keep away-I should
be afraid of being Tapped up"
We moved on to a cage of cobras. you
think you could catch hold of one OF
these when they're obstropolus, but
they're rum uns, l tell you" OF the rat
tlesnakes he said: They'll never touch
the rattle, you're all right; IL you don't
you get buried"
with this ominous remark the keeper
was about to leave me, but had a ques-
ton to ask him about snakes that
thought would embarrass him. The way
had to be prepared cunningly.
II suppose you know good deal about
snakes?" 1 asked, with studied careless
ness. The man modestly replied that he
thought he knew whatever was to be
known on the subject. do snakes ever
swallow each other2" was my next ques-
ton.
Yves; once had two pythons in a cage,
one few feet longer than the other. One
morning when I came found the big one
alone, looking pretty fat. with the small
err ones head just peeplng out of his
mouth. But / made MIN fetch IL UP; I
beat him with a switch from the tail up
wards and ne disgorged II inch by inch,
and L. wasn't penny the worse"
drew long breath. I'm your opinion,
as an expert" / said. what would hap
pen II three snakes caught hold OF each
ether by the tails, in the form of a circle,
and began to eat each otherT'
why, of course-m' m-what dad you
say. sir? In a circle2 Oh see now. I'm
hanged II IL didn't puzzle me for a min
utei You see. the first snake would swal-
low the others. What's that2 Which IS
the first shaker Why. the Onc--of course.
IT'S being swallowed itself. isn't ~ Hang
". there IN no first snake! Anyway. I've
lived with snakes, and I've never seen