BUCK-HUNTING INCIDENT. 73 
ahead and keep on the gui vive for any bucks that broke cover. 
At such hunts, Pythons are frequently killed. The dogs locate 
them in the bush, and bring them to bay. At one of these hunts 
a big torpid-looking fellow broke away and came crawling 
sluggishly over the rocks. We killed him, whereupon two or, 
three of the natives became very officious in volunteering their 
Fic. 33.—An African Python swallowing a bird. (From Warne’s Royal Natural History.) 
services in skinning him for me without the usual fee, so I willingly 
agreed. When they were taking the skin off, one of them pulled 
the remains of a Duiker Buck from the snake’s interior. It was 
a pulpy shapeless mass, covered all over with slime. The Kafir 
laid it carefully aside. I inquired: ‘‘ What are you going to do 
with that?” ‘“‘ Eat it, boss.” ‘‘ What! eat that slimy thing 
—ugh!” “Yes, boss, why not? It’s good meat. We will 
wash it in the stream and skin it, and have a feast to-night.” 
