The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1912-12-05
FOUGHT A PYTHON
Fearful Plight Of a Man Trapped
In the Big Snakes Den.
EXCITING BATTLE FOR LIFE.
Plueky and Successful Struggle to Es'
cane the Embrace Of tho Writing
Monster, Which Would Have Cruan'
ed Its Victim Like an Egsshe''.


~ n. Victim Like an Eggshel.
Few men after having been roughly
soueezed by a python have lived u 'el'
of their sensations while In the EN-
brace of the big snake. An Ensilsn'
man employed in the London zooiosi-
col gardens was, however. one OF 'be
fortunate few.
The Britisher while In Antwerp VS.
tied the Jardin Zoologique. where ne
observed that big python-a fenaie
about fourteen feet III length-wa sur
fering from carries Of the jaw. with u''
ceration of the mucous membrane
condition often fatal to snakes IN con
fnement.
Having pointed this out to the resi-.
dent director, the Englishman optaineo
permission to make trial OF an ONT
ment that he had found efficaclous in
the early stage Of the disease among
his own snakes.
Now. as i'll luck would have It, the
raorlar keeper was absent on this par
ticular occasion, and his place was MI
ed for the time by another from some
other department of the institution.
This man spoke nothing but Fiemlsh'
a tongue of which the Briton was IL
norant
The Englishman went into the py'
thou's den with this attendant lakihs
It for granted, of course, that the man
vas accustomed to snakes and hand-
ing him the box of ointment to hold un
til the Briton should be ready 10 use IL
When the Englishman had brought
the python fairly down to the floor ne
gripped her hard by the neck WINCH
action had the effect, as be Intended II
To have and which 1t always has VIII
snakes, of making her open her mouth
While holding her thus be pressed ner
head away from him at the same tlme
to prevent her catching hold OF any
portion Of his clothing in her efforts 10
| overcome him.
In her fright and rage she drew her
body up across the Britisher's back ana
twisted her tail round and round lis
other arm. All that the Englishman
now required Of the keeper was. by
teasing or pinching her here and there
or nv unwinding the tail when necessa-
ry. to cause her to shift her coils con-
stantly and prevent her resting long
enough on one spot to apply undue
pressure.
The Englishman turned to make q
sign to the Fleming to be ready to hand
| him the ointment. To the foreigner
dismay the Fleming's face, with a sort
of full, impartial interest, looked at him
through the glass in front, the door
closed on the outside! He had become
frightened by the python and had qulet'
ly departed.
At the same instant that the British
er turned the serpent tightened on him
so suddenly and violently that ne mo-
meptarily lost consciousness. Then ne
found himself staggering about the den
fighting for life. He expected MS lids
to give way every moment, yet his
| chief fear at the time was OF railing
through the glass.
He pushed the reptiles head away
from him with all his strength lest II
should cross his breast, and he can re-
member catching sight Of himself, q
mulberry colored figure, in the mirror
All the time that he fought he knew
that he was trampling over the other
pythons, who, furious at the disturb
ance, were now darting about the den,
above and all around him In every d.
rection.
The Britisher exerted every energy TO
keen his feet, for he had retained sur
ficient presence of mind to realize that
were he to 60 down all would be over
with him. The heat was sitting. Hc
felt that he could endure it no longer
The cage spun madly round before his
eyes. and he let go the snakes head,
The big serpent now twisted Sharply
over his right shoulder close to his face
and slid off to the ground
The Englishman remembers railing
against the door with outstretcheo
hands, but nothing more until he found
himself sitting on the steps outside
coughing violently, while the phieg
matte keeper was for some occult rea
son putting hot key down his BACK
Fortunately the snake had only
small part of her body across the Eng
lishman's left side and back. Had she
encircled him with complete coll nc
would have been crushed like al egg
| ruo~por,o Uooxlv