170 A WEEK ON WALDEN'S RIDGE. 



far enough to look over the edge of the 

 mountain, and up to the Signal Point cliffs. 

 If I could have stayed there two or three 

 hours, it would have been a memorable 

 season. As it was, the stroll was enlivened 

 by one little adventure, at which I have 

 laughed too many times ever to forget it. 



I had been growing rapturous over the 

 beauty of things, when my companion said, 

 " There are some people whom it is no 

 pleasure to take into places like this. They 

 can't keep their eyes off the ground, they 

 are so bitten with the fear of snakes." He 

 was a few paces ahead of me, as he spoke, 

 and the sentence was barely finished before 

 he shouted, " Look at that huge snake ! " 

 and sprang forward to snatch up a stone. 

 " Get a stick ! " he cried. " Get a stick ! " 

 From his manner I took it for granted that 

 the creature was a rattlesnake, and a glance 

 at it, lying motionless among the stones 

 beside the road, did not undeceive me. I 

 turned hurriedly, looking for a stick, but 

 somehow could not find one, and in a mo- 

 ment more was recalled by shouts of " Come 

 and help me ! It will get away from us ! " 

 It was a question of life and death, I 



