SNAKES 221 



he had happened to put his hand a little too 

 far forward or slightly to the right or left 

 of the snake's head he would probably have 

 been bitten at once. This was one of the risk- 

 iest moments in the whole business. As soon 

 as he had grasped the neck, the tug of war 

 began. There was a huge uplifting of the 

 python's whole body, and coil upon coil rose 

 in the air, but Snyder held on for dear life 

 and, with every atom of strength at his dis- 

 posal—and he is a powerful man — he pulled 

 at that head until it was outside the door of 

 the cage ; as the length of the snake protruded, 

 each man of the twelve or fourteen keepers 

 present caught hold of it at intervals, and in 

 this manner it was carried, or as much of it 

 as could be carried, 'as part of it had to stay 

 in the passage — into an inner room; I was 

 invited to stand in front of the python and 

 watch proceedings. 



For the time the python was completely 

 overpowered, but occasionally he would make 

 a sudden twist and turn, and then every man 

 on the force would strive and struggle, show- 



