Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1901-07-24

|
extensive building, we were in n
quandary.
The men continued to look under
various things, likely and unlikely;
and presently they discovered Il broad
mark which seemed TO be the trail of
the serpent, leading under the cook
house. A close examination confirmed
this theory, and then it was also re-
ported that no similar trail could be
found leading out. A carpenter was
hurriedly sent for to remove the
boards from the floor.
Now many courageous men have
| such an inborn aversion TO snakes that
the touch OF serpents body seems to
create in them an entire new system
OF nerves, and l wondered how my
men Would act if we should really
encounter that creature with the beady
brown eyes, forked tongue, and teeth
all pointing inward-the wrong way
for an assailant. Up to that point
the search had gone on as quietly as
if we had been seeking lost piece of
rope. ...,.......-..
Fortunately the floor boards Of the
| cook house were nine inches wide and
in short time one of them was re-
moved. Down went four heads, and
all four came UP again, very hastily:
| There he is"
| Close beside the opening in the floor
lay about Il bushel of big brown and
| yellow coils, and above the pile hoy
cred the massive head Of the python
threatening to strike the first living
thing that came within reach. The
noise and jar of the carpenters efforts
in removing the board had greatly IL
ritated the reptile.
Mr.. Ditmars. our curator of reptiles.
had provided himself with large bag
of heavy cloth, hoping TO be able to
throw it moutht downward over the
coils of the serpent-the usual way of
capturing snakes ut large. But there
was not sufficient space between the
floor and the serpent to carry this plan
into effect; and moreover, the scrpent's
head was altogether too threatening.
Pending further efforts, we procured
boards and endcavorcd to cut off the
python's escape, front and rear.
The python waited until we had
placed the boards to the best possible
advantage, then uncoiled himself,
showed the boards out of position as
If they had been so many straws put
there for his amusement, and quickly
disappeared under the ant-eater's cage.
The carpenter fell to work again to
remove several other boards of the
floor, while the messenger boys were
stationed outside the building to see
that our quarry did not get out and es-
cape to the forest.
In a short time the python'5 head
again appeared at one of the long.
narrow openings made by the carpen-
ter, but as Mr.. Ditmars took n favor
able position for grabbing the crea-
ture by the neck, close up TO the jaws,
1t struck at him most yiciously.
Look out!' cried some one, en-
phatically.
Clearly, it would not do for any of
our men to be seized by that savage
creature; for although the python was
OF course not poisonous, and although
We might even prevent it from wrap
ping itself around any one of us, the
laceration OF mans hand by that big,
muscular mouth, filed with four rows
Of hook-like, backward pointing teeth,
Wanld. have been serious matter.
Presently the snake left its place un-
der the ant-eater's cage, gliding along
the side of the building farthest from
the door, alert, aggressive, and so
ready to strike any one who came near
its head that l forbade the men to
take risks.
AS its five yards of length semicir-
cled around the cook stove, part of its
body passed under one of the floor
openings. This was our opportunity,
and in an instant two of us seized it
ana triumphantly hauled up about six
rect OF the seIpent's body and tail.
How big and muscular ir was! Its
skin was as smooth and glossy as sat
IN and CLEANED with rainbow rides
cerce. 1t Writhcd and worked in our
grasp, and pulled downward with such
power that it required all the strength
OF the chief forester and myself 10
retain any portion of it within our
grasp. We braoed ourselves, heayed
hard, anu by main strength tried to
pull the pytfon out Backward; but not
one inch could we gain. On the CON
trary, inches were drawn away from
us in spite of all We could do I be-
ieve that ten men could not have
pulled that python out backward. al
though they night possibly have torn
it in two.
All this time Mr.. Ditmars kept trying
to seize the python by the neck, but ii
was constantly alert, anxious to seize
him, and gave MIN no opportunity
whatever. 1t was evident that with
our unaided hands we never could
master that savage creature without
an accident to some one.
Bidding keeper take my place at
the tail hold' and hang ON with all
his strength, l ran to the storeroom
and with two yards of masons line
n ffugr in, I,n,, I, r