Show Lii J Story tb the Lay W. W iE l CHASED BY BYA A MAD PYTHON Snyder derl Help Helt This was sas the er cry from a n narrow corridor cor- cor victor back of or the long line Une of ot snake Ct cages oR In the reptile house New York Zoological park on last Wednesday night It was as the voice of ot Curator Ditmars Dit- Dit mars Keeper John Snyder who was putting putting- the to bed bcd heard fland it fl and ran around to tIme the corridor Standing half haIr haIra a way down the corridor white while as a sheet but as as- cool as a cu cucumber cucumber encumber en- en cumber was Mr Ditmars On either cither side of him successfully barring the of escape stood one of ot the new net hooded cobras from India their heads a above jard-above the floor noor swaying angrily back and forth Corth watching Mr as a cat watches a mouse When hen the curator cul-ator opened the door of their cage case two of them the started for It Before DeCore Ditmars could shut shul the door thc they were out on the fl or In the narrow narrow nar nar- row fOW corridor and penned him In It was vas then that he lie shouted 1 for help Snyder approached carefully and de de- de- de With a n. pole he gently I pulled the nearest snake down upon the floor Hoor and pushed him away Ditmars Dit- Dit mars quiet quietly and deliberately walked away The snakes ere were then caught by throwing bags over them The attraction among amons the snakes this I week Is the deadly Fer de recently re recently re- re received from front Martinique 1 He lie I Is seven even feet long and strikes almost the full length of or hIs Ills bod body bod When the attendants had all left the reptile house hour Tuesday afternoon Keeper Keep Keep- er cr Sn Snyder remembered that the new arrival had not been fed Mr Ir Snyder got ot a H. dead sparrow from on the commissary commissary commis commis- sar sary department and putting It on a fL apale pair pale of tongs opened the door of or tho the cage case very y carefully The snake was coiled colled in a R. corner but lifted his head hend slowly and angrily as the keeper pushed the tongs ahead of ot him Into the cage when without warning of or any kind th the reptile struck at Mr Ir Snyders Snyder's arm The cage was a a. little k dat-k and he he began an to draw dra back when the snake struck This saved him For Instead of or fixing his sharp teeth In tho the forearm of the man as th the reptile had intended his Jaw overshot tho the arm Mr r. Snyder felt tell the underside o of the Jaw jas' graze the bar barC Jle flesh h of his arm and arm and he drew hack and slammed the door The Fer de did not get his supper that night The big hiS female p python thon twenty five feet lon long eats cats only once onee In a n matter of or eleven en months Then her hel appetite Is I not ferocious It Il was Just after one of these feeding ceiling operations a few ie days day n ago o that Mr Ditmars was WOR busy writing writIng writ writ- In Ing In hi his office The men had Just fed the python and It H had taken eight men mento mento mento to do lo It Seven Se held th the reptile stretched r in a straight line while the eighth one otto rammed the live rabbit down her throat thront The operation had greatly ang ed ange d her and she she- tried to throw a few coils colls of or her massive length around two of or the men menIth with Ith the kindly Intention of ot cracking their ribs before adding them to the thc meal of har hares 15 she had devoured Finally allY she rhe got sot the best of ot her capton captors cap- cap ton tors and the next Mr heard was a n scurrying of or feet feel along th the corridor corridor corri corn dor br as the eight men piled In a wild scramble cramble over each other In an nn effort to get out of or the building While hUe be lie was wondering what it Was a about he was horrified to see sec the big head of or the python and three feet of or neck come com down the corridor past palt his door doOl He sprang up to shut the door but she wa waN too quick for him With one flip nip of her big bod body she threw a fold Cold Into the doorway and prevented Its shutting He was wa about to jump from the window win win- dow when he saw Snyder ere creeping down the corridor with a u bran sack In his hands Snyder threw himself full Cull len length th upon the snake holding down loWn the tho sack upon lieu her head lightning light ning Ditmars followed him and the I two men plied piled up on the writhing neck of the angry creature For a few fe minutes rain min utes it Il was wa a tumble rough tl light ht to keep her from crushing them But at last the bag was vas pu lied over o the wriggling head and the thrashing tall tail stopped In a 11 puzzle Then she was pU pushed hed back buck into the cage by the eight J laborers bo Mr DItmars's left hand hears bears four our white sears scars across Its back They are arc deep and rag ragged d Not Nol long lone a ago o he had entered the den of or the pythons to feed some gome of or the younger on ones They have good appetites In hI the thc deep pockets of oC his work snit he hc had three thrle rabbits One of or them he produced and ga gave gato to to- toa a ayoung young male He lie ute ate It with gusto custo A little of the blood spattered from rom rota the them m rabbit upon his left hand He lie did not notice It When he had stealthily produced pro pro- the I second rabbit and was hoMinS' hoMinS holding hold hoM- lag inS It Jl out cut to one of the snakes a young roun female crept up behind him and seeing the blood on his hII left hand concluded that that was al also o a rabbit and seized It in her mouth When Then she found round It war wan as not a a. rabbit she let go 0 hut Instead of oC opening her mouth she simply tore her teeth across the hack back of his hand each eadi of th the Inward curved razor like teeth cutting a a. gash The The- nerve demanded de do- m h by this profession wa was exhibited exhibited when Mr Ditmars feeling his hand seized did not struggle le to get Et It loose but deliberately held It out while the great real snake ripped her teeth atro across s sIt It Had he struggled I d or tried led to get set it loose he ho would have been heen crushed to toI death then and there thre as any disturb ll 1 I anco In their cage excites them In Instantly In- In New New e York World orld |