32 TRAPPING WILD ANIMALS 
jungle, led by the native who made the discovery. 
I was surprised to find the largest snake I had ever 
seen. It looked at least thirty feet long and about 
eighteen inches in diameter. For a moment we 
stood there gasping. 
The python was sleeping peacefully, digesting 
the pig. I called to the men and put them to work 
at staking the crate to the ground and securing it 
so that the snake could not lash it around. The 
crate was about eight feet long, six feet wide and 
two and one-half feet deep; just large enough to 
hold him and just small enough so that, once inside, 
he would not be able to get leverage and break it. 
‘Again I explained what each man was to do. Then 
I passed a rope through the crate, tying one end 
toa tree and preparing a running noose to be slipped 
around the snake’s head when we were ready to 
draw him forward. Two more ropes were laid 
out, running from his tail. These we wrapped. 
around trees on each side of the tail, and I stationed 
men at the ends, showing them how they were to 
pay out the rope as the snake was drawn toward 
the crate, keeping it taut enough to prevent him 
from lashing. 
The python slept soundly through all these prep- 
arations. When we were ready, I gathered the men 
about me and cautioned them against becoming 
excited. I warned all those who had not been 
given work to do to stand back out of the way and 
not to approach unless we needed them. 
