178 AN ABODE OF SNAKES. 



as large, and of a much brighter colour. This python was 

 13 feet long and about a foot and a half in girth, with dark- 

 brown and black markings. 



We now went to examine the hole, which was close by, 

 and for which the snake must have been making when I 

 stopped him. It had evidently been originally the den of 

 porcupines, though now used as the temporary abode of 

 snakes. Of its being the latter there was no doubt, for on 

 looking into it we could see a bit of the tail-end of a second 

 snake, which doubtless was the one the Goorkha had at first 

 seen. We resolved not to meddle with it then, as we thought 

 it would be pretty sure to be found basking in the sun some 

 other day. We dragged the other to the nearest forest path 

 and suspended it over a branch, where it could be easily seen 

 by the men sent with an elephant to fetch it. Its body 

 showed slight muscular action when brought to camp in the 

 evening some six hours after being shot. 



Business prevented my visiting the python's haunt next 

 day. On the following morning, however, I went there with 

 three Goorkhas who volunteered to accompany me. Cau- 

 tiously we stole up to the place in hopes of finding the snake 

 out sunning itself. But it was nowhere visible, so we pro- 

 ceeded to inspect the hole, and there found the creature's tail 

 in almost exactly the same position as before. As no one 

 seemed inclined to handle the tail, we poked at it with a 

 stick, when it was merely shrunk a little farther into the 

 hole. A fire was lit at the entrance and the smoke fanned 

 into the hole, without the slightest apparent effect on the 

 snake. Finding all our endeavours to rouse it fail, I sent one 

 of the Goorkhas back to camp to fetch some tools with which 

 to try and dig it out, and also an elephant for carrying the 

 creature if we succeeded in our attempt to unearth it. 



Meanwhile the other two men and I set to work by turns 

 to enlarge the mouth of the hole with sticks, cut and sharp- 

 ened to a point by the Goorkhas with their kookeries. From 



