THE SNAKE AND THE SQUIREEL, 161 
up, and he chippered as he advanced toward certain 
death. 
‘The snake was still as death, not one of his folds could 
have been seen moving. How black and shiny the ugly 
creature was, and what a contrast with the green leaves 
of the trees! Part of his body was coiled on a limb of 
<< 
CHARMING THE SQUIRREL, 
the tree. How fixedly he looked at the squirrel! His 
head was triangular, and he belonged to that family of 
snakes that spend the greatest portion of their time on 
trees. This was of a very venomous kind. I wished I 
had been strong enough to take my gun and kill the ser- 
_ pent, and so save the life of the little squirrel. 
