FIGHT WITH A PYTHON

Levin Daily Chronicle, 22 October 1918, Page 4

FIGHT WITH A PYTHON

> THRILLING ADVENTURE. I WOMAN SAVES HER DOG. 'j The following story affords a noteworthy example of pluck and endurance on the part of an English sportst woman who may well bo congratulated on the result of her adventure. Miss Collyer, who recounts her experience in the Field, lives in British East Africa:— My house is a round l<>g-hut thatched with grass, and built in a narrow valley between the Olioba River and a smaller stream, known as tie Simba, from which I get my water. I had been herding the boys all day breaking up ground for a vegetable garden. It was a very hot day, and at 4 p.m. I went back to the hut, told my boy to get me some tea ,and in the meantime took off my gaiters and my belt, to which is attached my big whistle with which I call my boys, and my big hunting knife. After tea my three dogs came and begged mo to take them for a walk so I started off for a short stroll just , as I was,, and not troubling to take ? my rifle, or even a stick. My dogs consist of a young Airedale dog, Pick- jj les, an Airedale bitch, a mighty hunt- '! ress, Dona, and a large South African ' buckhound, Big Man, which I use for j pulling down wounded buck. I walked j down the Simba River, and let the dogs i try for a jackal. The young dog was 1 in front out of sight over the brow of the incline. Suddenly I heard him give tongue and thought he .had hit off the buck ,so I cheered on the , other two. When in a second his joyful opening turned to howls and yells of agony. Thinking a leopard had probably got him, I ran about 50yds and I .saw him still on the track which crossed the bed of the stream in the coils of a huge python. Three coils as big as my body were round him, blood was streaming from his mouth, his.eyes implored me to help. The other dogs ! were barking round the snake, but not going for it. The snake was open- j mouthed, trying to get hold of the dog's head. ATTACKED WITH A PIECE OF WOOD. Here I was, quarter of a mile from help, quite alone, and my dog being strangled to death in the grip of the biggest snake I had ever seen . I felt for my whistle which I had left on my camp-bed. There was no time to lose, | and no use to shout for help. The dog was being killed, and was now past howling. I looked round for some weapon, and seized a heavy root of a part-, ly burnt tree. - It wais only 2ft long, so I had to go right in. iThere-was 3ft or so of the snake feeling round Pickle's head, and I made a_ whack at tlie back of its neck. I hit it fairly hard, and it came for, me like a flash and struck me and bit m'e on the shin. Ijumped back, arid Dona, seeing it go for me grabbed it in the neck and pulled for me, grabbed it in the neck and pulled it back, and the big dog got,hold of its tail. Dona was whirled into the air in a second, and either let go, or was shaken off. I went in again and hit twice, as hard as I could, and it made another lightning plunge at me, dragging Pickles with it. It got my other leg this time. I did not move, but banged and banged its neck and head with the root, and Dona got hold again. 1" think I must have partially stunned it, for, to my utmost relief, it began to crawl slowly away down between the banks of the stream; I grabbed hold of Dona, and dragged her off, shouted at Big Man to leave it, and Pickles lay gasping on his side. Then I began to shout fer help, for my blood was up, and that snake was going to die. After what seemed hours I heard my head boy's whistlo and knew (they were coming. All the army arrived with knives, and my chief boy had the sense to rush into my hut and bring my rifle. OVER 15ft IN LENGTH. I told them hurriedly what it was, grabbed my rifle, and dashed down the stream after the snake. It had not gone far, and was coiled up under a big root. I could not see .the head, so knelt down about 10ft away and put a bullet into the middle of it. This stirred it up, and it came at mc again. I ' followed on with four more bullets which all hit, but I was shaking all the head which waved about. However, over by this time. I could not hi/t I saw that the brute was so badly hit it could not get away, so sent my boy back for my 12 bore and a No. 6 cantridge. One shot with this blew its head to pieces, and I put one more in for luck. We then got the brute up on the bank, and as it lay, I measured it, 15ftj but it was still wriggling, and I dare say if it had been straight out, it would have been longer; but I was not going to touch it, and none of the boys would. The dog was not much hurt. Ono hind leg was badly bitten, and his head also was bitten; strange to say no Tibs were broken, and ho was only stiff and sore.