i8 



head struck at me viciously, but missed me by a 

 few inches. I jumped back on the rock badly 

 frightened, for I had recognised the snake as being 

 the much-dreaded "tic."* I stood absolutely still 

 for about ten minutes, peering about me through 

 the tall grass, but could see nothing, though 

 several times I heard rustlings down below. This 

 got on my nerves after a bit, so taking a box of 

 matches from my pocket, I set fire to the grass all 

 round me, so that I soon stood in the centre of a 

 blackened clearing. I then cheerfully lit my pipe, 

 congratulating myself on my escape, and again 

 started up the hill. I had not gone more than ten 

 yards, when a flat, brown head struck at me again, 

 and I felt a sharp prick on my right leg just above 

 my boot. Regardless of another bite, I leapt after 

 the snake, lashing at it with my stick in a sudden 

 fury. Then I realised what had happened, and a 

 nasty cold feeling seized me and sweat stood on my 

 forehead. I knew that I had only two hours at 

 most to live, and I felt an angry resentment against 

 fate. Then my presence of mind returned, and, 

 sitting down, I scratched the skin round the two 

 little punctures away with my finger nails and 

 sucked as hard as I could through thin grass stalks. 

 This probably saved, or helped to save, my life. I 

 must have sucked out some of the poison, as I felt 

 a bitter taste in my mouth. I then turned and ran 

 back to the bungalow, which was about three- 

 quarters of a mile away. Arrived at the foot of the 

 last flight of steps, I turned suddenly giddy, and 

 sat down on a rock. Summoning all my will power 

 to help me, I tottered up the verandah and yelled 

 for the *' boy," telling him to bring whisky at once. 



My friend sent ofl* a cooly 



for the nearest doctor. I was drinking tumblerfulls 



* Russeirs viper. 



