The Ronan pioneer. [volume] (Ronan, Mont.) 1910-1970, 1912-12-27
FOUGHT A PYTHON
Fearful Plight Of a Man Trapped
In the Big Snakes Den.
EXCITING BATTLE FOR LIFE.
plucky and Successful Struggle to Es.
care the Embrace Of the Writing
Monster, Which Would Have Crush
cd Its Victim Like an Eggshell.

cd Its Victim Like an Eggshel.
Few men after having been roughly
squeezed 10y Il python have lived to tell
of their sensations while in the EN-
brace of the big snake. An English
man employed in the London zooloSi-
cal gardens was. however, one OF the
fortunate few.
The Brilisher while in Antwerp Wis
tied the Jardiu Zooo"ique. where he
Observed that big python-a female
about fourteen feet in length-was sui
feriny from carries OF the jaw. with Ill
ceration of the mucous membrane,
condition often fatal to snakes in con
linement.
Having pointed this out to the resi-
dent director. the E,,glishman obtained
permission to make trial OF an ONT
ment that he had found etlicacious in
the early stage Of the disease among
! his own snakes.
| Now, as i'll luck would have it, the
regular keeper WAS absent on this par
ticular occasion. and his place was flll-
ed for the time by another from some
ether department of the institution.
/ This man spoke nothing but Flemish.
a tongue of which the Briton was ig.
norant
The Englishman went into the py'
thon's den with this attendant. taking
it for granted. of course. that the man
was accustomed to snakes and hand
ing him the box of ointment to hold I'M
( ,,,iI No, I,,t I
When the Englishman had brought
the python fairly down to the floor he
gripped her hard by the neck, which
action had the effect, as he intended 1T
to have and which it always has with
snakes, of making her open her mouth
While holding her thus he pressed her
head away from him at the same time
to prevent her catching hold of amy
portion of his clothing i'm her efforts to
overcome him.
In her fright and rage she drew her
body up across the Britisher's back and
twisted her tail round and round his
other arm All that the EngliShman
now required of the keeper was. by
teasing or nnchiny her here and there
or by unwinding the tail when neress;l'
nv, to cause her to shift her coils con
stantly and prevent her resting long
enough on one spot to apply undn"
pressure.
The Enylisllnan turned to mnkr N
sign to the Fleming to be ready to hand
him the ointment. TO the foreigners
dismay the FlemingS face. with IL sort
of full. impartial interest. looked at him
through the glass in front. the door
closed on the outside. He had become
frightened 10y the python and had quiet
Iy departed
At the same instant that the British
er turned the serpent frightened on him
so suddenly and violently that he mo
mentarily los, consciousness Then h.
found himself staggering about th" den
fighting for life He expected his ribs
to give way every moment. yet his
chief fear at the time wns of failing
through the glass.
He pushed the reptiles head AWAY
from him with all his strength leSI ii
should cross Ills breast. aud he can re
member catching sight of himself u
mulberry coiored figure. in the mirror
All the time that he fought he knew
that he was trampling over the q! her
pythonS who. furious at the disturb
ance were now dhrting about the den
above and all around him in every di
rectiOn
The BrtiSher eXerted every energy to
keep his feet. for he had retained SUI
Gcient presence of mind to realize that
were he to 20 down all would be over
with him The heat was sitting lie
felt that he could endure it no longer
The cage spun madly round before his
eyes. and he let 20 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 falling
against the door with ontstretched
hands, but nothing more until he found
himself sitting on the steps outside
coughing violently. while the phcg-
matte keeper was for some occult rea-
son putting hot key down his back.
Fortunately the snake had only a
small part Of her body across the Eng
lishman's left side and back. Had she
encirled him with n complete coil he
would have been crushed like an egg
shell.-Harper's Weekly.
Dieting tho Seals.
L.,