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Show A BIG SNAKE STORY FROM BEYOND THE SNAKE Special to The Tribune. HELENA. Mont., July 2S. From the Crow Indian reservation in southeastern Montana comes one of the most remarkable remark-able stories concerning an experience with a snake known to Montana history. Lon O'Doll, William Vaught anda party of Crows succeeded In capturing alive one of the largest snakes ever seen In the country. Tho snake is of an unknown un-known species. Is 'twenty feet in length and about ten Inches In circumference. It Is of a mahogany color, with bands of gray-gold covering Its body at distances of from three to four Inches the bands being connected. The Indians at different times had told Mr. O'Dell of a monster snnke that had Its home In a small canyon of the Llt-tlo Llt-tlo Pryor mountains, and finally he and Mr. Vaught concluded to visit the vicinity vi-cinity and see the wonder. A number of Indians showed them the canyon and while accompanying them over the canyon can-yon kept well In the rear. After carefully care-fully looking over the canyon, they could find but one place where the snake could be, if there was a snake there, and that was a large hole near the top of u ledge that showed something was In the habit of passing In and out. TIitc were trails leading In various directions from the hole. Indicating that some monster larger than an ordinary snake was crawling over them. They dug a hole several feet back of the mouth of the hole and intersected it where the coils of the snake could be seen. The disturbance caused the snake to show fight, and It began to blow so that It could be heard quite a distance, and it started to come out of the hole. The Indians got as far away as possible and Mr. Vaught turned out of the hole he helped to dig. Tho snake started to leave the hole, and as It did so O'Dell threw a sack In Its face, which it seized. While the teeth of thu snake were fastened fast-ened In the sack O'Dell threw the rest of tho sack over the reptiles head and clasped his hands about Its- throat Just back of tho head. This was followod bv a short but determined struggle, during which the snake wrapped itself about O'Doll's hips in an endeavor to raise him from the ground. Vaught. acting under Instructions from O'Doll, seized the snuke' by the tall, thus causing It to loosen its grip on O'Dell somewhat. Tho tussle continued for soma time, thus tiring tir-ing the snake out. and It was then forced bodily Into the sack. Tho snake, which Is now on exhibition at Laurel, is evidently one which kills Its prey by constriction, although Its spots are not those of tho boa constrictor. Xellhcr is It an annconda. as lis bojly is too large Mr. O'DcJI. who is an experienced ex-perienced snake manipulator, says he does, not think the snake Is a native of Montana, but has probably drifted' here from tho -Sierra Nevada mountains. a he understands several such snakes have been seen there. He says tho Indians aver this particular' spake hns been in the Pryor mountains for twenty years. This is the only One of Us kind seen by them. E. V. Butler, a photographer, was Induced In-duced to go Into n room with O'Dell and his captive in order to secure a picture. His snakcshlp was placed on a bed and O'Dell never permitted his eye to leave It until the reptile had boon restored to Its box. The snake struck at O'Dell once 'while being placed on the bed. and was evidently getting- In a bad humor, for In putting him back In the box. It wrapped its tall about O'Dell's wrist, squeezing It quite severely. O Dell Intends In-tends to exhibit the snako throughout the country. |