174 AFRICAN ADVENTURE STORIES 



him with its open jaws and then came gliding 

 toward him. He stepped aside, and the snake 

 passed over the spot where he had been stand- 

 ing. A second shot killed it. The colonel does 

 not believe the python really meant to charge 

 him but is of the opinion that it was bewildered 

 and in trying to escape did not realise in what 

 direction it was making. It was twelve feet 

 long. 



In connection with the above remarks, it 

 might be well to chronicle the only and what 

 seemed to be authentic record that came to our 

 attention of an African python attacking a per- 

 son. Two small native lads were sent by their 

 master to the banks of a stream to cut grass 

 for stock. A few hours later they appeared, 

 staggering under the weight of the much-man- 

 gled body of a twelve-foot python. They said 

 that while one of them was on his knees cutting 

 grass in the underbrush he was suddenly seized 

 from behind by a python. The boy called to 

 his companion for aid, and the two finally man- 

 aged to kill the snake with their sickles before 

 it had seriously wounded them. The lad who 

 had been attacked exhibited a lacerated but- 

 tock where the snake had bitten him. 



