somehow and was trying to get out. 

 Did that horse-hair quite meet, or 

 had I arranged it carelessly? I pic- 

 tured the rattler going all around 

 me trying at every undulation to 

 pass the rope whose stiff bristles 

 repelled its sensitive throat, per- 

 haps it had found the opening and 

 was gliding in! Perhaps it preferred 

 hair ropes to any other road. 



"Nimrod" said a small thin voice, 

 "have you got the electric lamp 

 within reach? There is a " I did 

 not say it, " something under my 

 bed. There, did n't you hear it?" 



This time the noise was much 

 louder. 



"Squ-eee-eek." 



"It's a field mouse getting jolly 

 well squashed. Now he is gone," 

 said the masculine voice with in- 

 finite patience and resumed his inter- 

 rupted slumbers. A flash of the 

 electric lamp showed Undine curled 

 up comfortably near on a saddle 

 blanket. She opened one eye and 

 cocked an ear, politely enquiring, 

 "Why don't you do the same?" So 

 I did. 



