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Tom, ride with us, and he filled us with information concerning his school, his riding ponies, and his favorite poetry. Deeply regretted having left his volume of Burns at home, because he wanted me to read scotch poetry to him. 

Upon arrival at a camp we learned that one native brought in five hornbills yesterday, this completing our quota of these astonishing birds. Some of ours are beauties two - we have three tremendous rhinoceros hornbills. They are caught with lime, and come in with their feathers very sticky, but apparently none the worse for the experience.
 
The Davises were to join us here for lunch, which they did. We had nasi goreng, and enjoyed ontroducting them to this Malay dish. After lunch Tom vanished into the back yard, to watch the boys feed and care for their charges.  As we were sitting on the verandah, peacefully having our glasses of beer, one native boy who speaking a trifle of English came running, breathless, to shout "Snake eats boy!"

Feeling almost too faint to run, we all dashed out in the back yard.  Great writhing coils of python were visible on the ground, surrounded by an excited crowd. Davis, his face stiff with fear, came running toward the camp. 

"Who is it?" I called.
  
"Gaddi", He shouted back.

Just then I saw Gaddi leave the group and walk across the yard, holding one hand. He squatted down on a corner of the porch, and wrapped one hand in a stray snake bag. Bill was trying to help Jennier get the python back in the cage. Jennier, his face simply purple, shouted somebody take Gaddi to the hospital and take him quick. 

We borrowed the Davis' car, and Bill rushed Gaddi to the hospital. Fortunately the wounds were not severe - at, least, Gaddi still has five fingers left. The python had chewed on him for about five minutes before he could be made to let go, and there were a number of nasty cuts. The doctor took four stitches in the palm [[strikethrough]] of his hand [[/strikethrough]], and four on the back of his hand. Gaddi came back, still smiling, and although we told him to rest up, he was next seen going down his animal line and feeding all of his charges with one hand. Later Jennier said that the python had been shifted from one crate to another, and just as the job was completed he told Gaddi to slam down the lid.  Before Gaddi could do it, the python got his head out, and grabbed Gaddi's hand. Then the whole fifteen feet of snake got on the grass, put a couple of coils around Gaddi's arm, and it took the whole staff to separate them.

 Bill, still feeling shaky from last night's chill, was not improved b  the experiment, or by going around the zoo [[strikethrough]] twice [[/strikethrough]] with three different sets of visitors. At dinner time he gave up and went to bed, and we had to send for the doctor.

July 9 -

Bill, still  not feeling well, and had to stand for a long lecture from Dr. Meyers on the harmful effects of smoking, and the probability of his actually having nicotine poisoning.