THEY HANKERED AFTER HIS GALL. 65 
become that one day I coiled him round a lady’s neck and waist, 
and photographed her with the python. 
A SENSATION. 
This Python escaped one night, and I solemnly warned a 
relative to keep the fact a dead secret. She confided the fact toa 
neighbour, binding her to strict secrecy, but of course that secret 
was known in a very short while over the whole neighbourhood. 
Anyhow, for a month or two nobody would venture out of doors 
in that suburb after dark. Whenever little Tommy or Mary 
were a little late in coming home from school, their mothers were 
in horrible suspense lest the Python had interviewed them en 
voute. Whenever any domestic animals were missing, of course 
the Python got the blame. Why, they even blamed it for doing 
away with a man. It seems Mr. suddenly disappeared from 
his home, and no trace of him could be found, and the poor old 
Python was blamed, but I knew that man had a shrew of a wife, 
with a dreadful temper, who preferred gossip to looking after 
her domestic affairs, so I guessed the reason of his disappearance. 
Tury HANKERED AFTER HIS GALL. 
The Kafirs believe that the gall of a man who has killed a 
Python will confer on the person who swallows it wonderful 
vigour, courage and longevity. 
Prior to the advent of Europeans into South Africa, and the 
introduction of their irksome laws, the kafir who was known to 
have killed a Python stood little or no chance of living to an old 
age. The Chief of the tribe coveted his gall. So did others, but 
they lay low, for they well knew that to thwart the desires of the 
Chief meant retaliation, swift, sure, and cruel, upon themselves. 
Now, when any of the old-time powerful native chiefs coveted 
anything, he got it by fair means or foul, ifit were at all procurable. 
Summoning the Witch-doctor he declared, with many groans, 
exclamations, and lamentations that he felt ill, frightfully ill, and 
raising his voice aloud, proclaimed that he had been bewitched. 
F 
