56 In Touch with Nature. 



come from is a mystery, unless they have been 

 sleeping in some spring-hole near by. 



Still retaining a half-dozen large specimens, I 

 went to the water, but the snakes had not plunged 

 in. Instead, they were basking on the sunny rock. 

 Returning to the spot where I met them, I liber- 

 ated my pets, but they had lost all recollection of 

 their original intention, and crawled off in any and 

 every direction. I leave to others to determine 

 how a vast number of snakes, coiled in some 

 hidden, dark cave among heaped-up rocks, could 

 know that the sun was shining brightly; that the 

 warmth of spring bathed the lake shore ; that the 

 world was ready for their active lives. And again, 

 why do they so closely cling to each other until 

 every doubt has disappeared ? We see a single 

 snake in summer, and know it only as a timid creat- 

 ure, or one that vainly hopes to turn you from its 

 path by idle threats ; but, looking longer, if an un- 

 just repugnance can be overcome, we will find there 

 is more credit due a snake than it usually receives. 

 It has a hard time of it at best, and success is 

 proportionate to its cunning in the ever-present 

 struggle for existence. And what is cunning ? 



