CIRCUS DAYS 31 



responsible for the man's death and that I had 

 acted on his suggestion, to save the lives of the 

 natives. As the man had slashed about eight people 

 before I shot, the Resident ended his investigation 

 by thanking me and renewing my permission to 

 live in the Malay quarter. I returned to the hadji's 

 house more popular with the natives than ever 

 before. 



A native came running to the hadji's house one 

 day with the news that he had seen a big snake. He 

 said that it was at least fifty feet long and as big 

 as a tree. Knowing the Malay habit of exaggerat- 

 ing, I put it down as about twenty feet long; but I 

 gathered a crew of natives and we built a crate 

 from the limbs of trees and bamboo, binding it 

 together with green rattan. According to the 

 native's tale, the snake had just swallowed a pig, 

 and so, knowing that where he had first been seen, 

 he would remain, sleeping and digesting his meal, 

 we postponed the capture until the next morning. 



A python always kills his food by coiling around 

 it and crushing it to death; then he swallows it 

 whole, slobbering so that it will pass his throat. 

 During the digestive process, he generally becomes 

 torpid and, without putting up much fight, submits 

 to capture. 



Before we went out for the snake, I told each 

 man what he was to do, explaining carefully how 

 I intended to get the snake into the crate. When 

 I was sure that they understood, we started into the 



