110 ADVENTUR\:S IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



game by the fountain, I suddenly detected an enormous 

 old rock-snake stealing in beneath a mass of rock be- 

 side me. He was truly an enormous snake, and, hav- 

 ing never before dealt with this species of game, I did 

 not exactly know liow to set about capturing him. 

 Being very anxious to preserve his skin entire, and not 

 wishing to have recourse to my rifle, I cut a stout and 

 tough stick about eight feet long, and having lightened 

 myself of my shooting-belt, I commenced the attack. 

 Seizing liim by the tail, I tried to get him out of his 

 place of refuge ; but I hauled in vain; he only drew 

 his large folds firmer together ; I could not move him. 

 At length I got a rheim round one of his folds about the 

 middle of his body, and Kleinboy and I commenced haul- 

 ing away in good earnest. 



The snake, finding the ground too hot for him, re- 

 laxed his coils, and, suddenly bringing round his head 

 to the front, he sprang out at us like an arrow, with his 

 immense and hideous mouth opened to its largest di- 

 mensions, and before I could get out of his way he was 

 clean out of his hole, and made a second spring, throw- 

 ing himself forward about eight or ten feet, and snap- 

 ping his horrid fangs within a foot of my naked legs. 

 I sprang out of his way, and, getting a hold of the green 

 bough I had cut, returned to the charge. The snake 

 now glided along at top speed : he knew the ground 

 well, and was making for a mass of broken rocks, where 

 he would have been beyond my reach, but before he 

 could gain this place of refuge I caught him two or 

 three tremendous whacks on the head. He, however, 

 held on, and gained a pool of muddy water, which he 

 was rapidly crossing, when I again belabored him, and 

 at length reduced his pace to a stand. We then hang- 

 ed him by the neck to a bough of a tree, and in about 



