308 RAMBLES ABOUT HOME. 



and lay there, baskin' in the sun, on that fence-rail. So 

 soon as I had taken it all in, I laughed right out, and 

 wasn't scared a bit then ; but, boy, I wasn't out of the 

 woods by a long shot. Now here comes the toughest 

 yarn you ever heard from me, at least you'll think it a 

 yarn." 



"Indeed, I will not," I said very earnestly. 



" You say so now ; but never mind, and let me have 

 all the say for a while," Uz continued, and I acquiesced 

 by a nod of the head. 



" Well, I was gazin' 'round at the snakes that were 

 swimming all about, and some of 'em were climbin' back 

 on the fence-rail. There were lots of 'em, big and little, 

 and every sort I ever saw about here, I believe. Not want- 

 in' any, I turned off, arid sculled toward Swan Island flood- 

 gates. I found there was a big hollow buttonwood 

 lodged right across the gates. I sculled up close to it, 

 expectin' to see somethin' in or about it, for everything 

 afloat then, you know, had its living freight. I held my 

 gun ready, thinkin' there might be a mink or otter 

 around : when, just as I was scrapin' against the tree, 

 down rattled a whoppin' big snake into the boat, and 

 another followin', and another and another after them, 

 for all I know. I pushed off, quick as I could, but was 

 kind o' tangled in among the branches at the time, and, 

 before I got clear, there were three thunderin' big snakes 

 coiled up in the bottom of my canoe. I eyed 'em pretty 

 close, and didn't recognize 'em. They had the look of 

 the common puff-adder, or " hog-nose," as you call 'em, 

 but didn't look the same. They were most too big, and 

 seemed to be spotted in a different way. Perhaps they 

 were all right and harmless, but I didn't like their looks. 

 In a minute I made up my mind to get rid of 'em if I 

 could, and lifted my scull out of the water. One of 'em, 



