A HERMIT'S WILD FRIENDS 



skirts and fled down the old highway. The 

 toad came in sight, dragging the snake, which 

 was clinging to a hind leg. When the snake 

 saw us, he dropped his hold but did not re- 

 treat. The toad hopped on to my feet, nearly 

 exhausted. The snake must have been made 

 bold by hunger, for he made a rush for the 

 toad. My snake-club was near at hand, and 

 he was soon killed. The young lady that fled 

 would not return until fully convinced that the 

 snake was dead. She did not see the snake 

 when he was alive, for she fled when I said 

 one was coming. 



A garter-snake made a home beneath my 

 cabin. He was too small to injure birds, so 

 I did not disturb him. He became very tame 

 during the summer. His hole was under the 

 door of my cabin. I could sit in the door- 

 way, and when he was passing in or out, he 

 would stop for me to rub his head. The second 

 year he had increased in size. There was a 

 chestnut-sided warbler's nest near the cabin, 

 containing young birds. I heard cries of dis- 

 tress from the old birds, and when I investi- 

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