140 OUR NERVES ARE ELECTRIFIED. 



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 incliued 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 witli 

 which to try and dig it out, and also an elephant for carry- 

 ing 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 

 the ground being very hard, and the sticks having constantly 

 to be resharpened, our progress was rather slow. After 

 digging and scraping away for a long time, we had enlarged 

 the mouth of the hole enough to admit sufficient light to 

 enable us, by stooping and peering into the gloom of the 

 interior, to see some of the reptile's huge coils, which looked 

 as thick as, if not thicker than, a man's thigh. It was an 

 enormous python, and we were surprised to find that it did 

 not as yet evince the slightest signs of resenting our in- 

 trusion, although the creature must have been quite con- 

 scious of it ; for we fancied we saw its eyes regarding us, as 

 it lay with its great flat head resting on one of its coils. 



Supposing the snake to be in a half-torpid state, we 

 determined to try and draw it. We all three, therefore, 

 proceeded — somewhat nervously I must own — to lay hold 

 of its tail. To this familiarity it showed its objection by a 

 decided inclination to wag its caudal extremity, which had 

 such an electrical effect on our nerves that we dro]3ped it 

 like a hot potato, and — what shall I call it ? — retired. It 

 must have been very sleepy indeed, for immediately on its 

 tail being released it desisted from moving it. This restored 



