MA Y iSr 



second barrel broke one of its hind legs and injured the other. 

 Springing from my horse, and without reloading the gun, I ran 

 to catch it, but as it could still travel faster than I "did, I saw 

 with chagrin that it would reach a hole for which it was heading 

 (in Africa these hares go to ground if pressed) before I was 

 able to overtake it. Presently it came to the hole, but, in- 

 stead of bolting down it, sat quite still upon the hither side. 

 Thinking that the animal was expiring, I crept up cautiously and 

 stretched out my hand to seize it. The next instant I received 

 one of the sharpest shocks that I can remember to have ex- 

 perienced, for, on the other side of the hole, within about four 

 feet of my face, like some child of an evil magic, there rose up 

 suddenly the hugest cobra ('ringhals'I think the Boers call it) 

 that I have ever seen. The reptile, which appeared to me to be 

 about six feet long, stood upon his coiled tail and, puffing out his 

 horrible and deadly hood, flickered his tongue and spat upon me. 

 There was no reason why he should not have struck me also, 

 since for the moment I seemed paralysed and did not move. Re- 

 covering myself, I sprang backwards and began to search in my 

 pocket for a cartridge to load my gun, whereon the great snake, 

 sinking down again, with a single swift movement vanished into the 

 hole, which was between it and me. 



Now, as the ' ringhals ' had gone, I thought that at any rate I 

 might as well secure the hare, which all this while, petrified with 

 terror, had been crouched by the top of the hole. So once again 

 I leant towards the creature. It heard me and tried to run away, 

 but evidently was too weak. Then it looked first back at me arid 

 next at the burrow down which the snake had vanished, and, seem- 

 ing to decide finally that the mercies of a cobra are greater than the 

 mercies of man, it uttered a scream and followed the reptile into 

 the hole. I stood by and listened. Presently from under the 

 earth came the sound of a rush and a scuffle, followed by another 

 pitiful scream. Then all was still. 



The butcher at Bungay has offered Hood 8o/. for four of the 

 Irish bullocks at Baker's, which he has refused, as he is of opinion 



