In the Serpents' Path. 53 



" Over all there hung a cloud of fear, 



A sense of mystery the spirit daunted ; 

 Which said, as plain as whisper in the ear, 

 The place is haunted." 



Then, as the sun dashed through a fleecy cloud, 

 the spell was broken. A sluggish snake rolled 

 from a jutting rock, and following the trail of that 

 serpent came the weird glory of a bright March 

 day. 



Guiding my boat to the rocky shore, I drew it 

 from the water, and ventured to explore the dark, 

 dank wood before me. Between loose rocks that 

 threatened to topple over as I passed, I threaded 

 " the sombre boscage," not wholly at ease, and 

 longing for other evidence of life ; for, although 

 death has claimed the lion's share of my treasure, 

 I still love the living world. Happily, there was 

 soon a rustling of dead leaves near by, and then a 

 strange, indefinite shape approached. The path 

 was too narrow for me to step aside, and I had 

 neither time nor room to turn back and reach my 

 boat. Nearer it came, hugging the stony path, a 

 writhing, squirming, tangled knot of serpents, and 

 I must prove the barrier to its progress. As well 



