Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-08-16
FOUGHT A PYTHON
Fearful Plight Of a Man Trapped
In the Big Snakes Den.
EXCITING BATTLE FOR LIFE

plueky and Successful Struggle 70 E.
eaps the Embrace Of the Writhi"s
Menstsr, Which Would Have Crush
Cd jts Victim Like an Essshs''.
Few men after having been roughly
squeezed by a python have lived to tell
of their sensations while In the en-
brace of the big snake. An English
man employed in the London zooIoe''
cal gardens was, however. one OF the
fortunate few.
The Britisher while in Antwerp VS.
tied the Jardin ZoologiQue. where 20
observed that a big python-a female
about fourteen feet in length-was SUI
fering from carries Of the Jaw. with uI-
ceration of the mucous membrane. q
condition often fatal to snakes In con-
inement.
Having pointed this out to the resi-
dent director, the Englishman obtained
permission to make trial Of an ONT
ment that he had found eficaciOus In
the early stage Of the disease among
| bis own snakes.
Now, as i'll luck would have it. the
regular keeper was absent on this par
ticular occasion, and his place was ill.
ed for the time by another from some
other 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 IN
til the Briton should be ready to use 1t.
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 be pressed her
head away from him at the same time
to prevent her catching hold Of any
portion Of his clothing in 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 E%nglishman
nov required Of the keeper was, by
teasing or pinching her here and there
or by unwinding the tail when necessa-
~. 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 .
sign to the Fleming to be ready to hand
him the ointment. To the foreigners
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 quiet
ly departed.
At the same instant that the British
er turned the serpent frightened on him
so suddenly and violently that be mo.
mentarily lost consciousness. Then he
found himself staggering about the den
fighting for life. He expected his ribs
to give way every moment, yet his
chief fear at the time was Of falling
through the glass.
BE pushed the reptiles head away
&c. L. - A - 4 I--A ~
should cross his breast, and he car re-
member catching sight of himself, a
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.
r~ection.
The Britisher exerted every energy to
keep his feet. for he had retained suf-
f1cient presence of mind to realize that
were he to 60 down all would be over
with him. The heat was sitting. He
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 falling
against the door with outstretched
hands, but nothing more until he found
himself sitting on the steps outside
coughing violently, while the phleg-
matte keeper was for some occult rea-
son putting a 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
encircled him with a complete coil he
would have been crushed like an egg.
shell.-Harper's Weekly.