AN EGYPTIAN SNAKE CHABMEB 59 



'There's no but in the matter,' said Delaporte. 

 ' The serpent was in my house, consequently it is my 

 property, not to mention that I pay you thirty piastres 

 for it. Take care ! If you raise any difficulties in the 

 matter I shall begin to think that you put the creature 

 there beforehand, and that it only came to your call 

 because you had tamed it.' 



Abd-el-Kerim saw that resistance was useless, and 

 let the serpent glide from his hands into the jar. 



Delaporte had a cork and string ready at hand ; the 

 cork was firmly tied down on the jar, and the serpent 

 secured inside it. 



' Any more ? ' asked Delaporte. 



' Yes,' said Abd-el-Kerim, who did not choose to own 

 himself beaten, and sure enough, after renewed cries and 

 more clouds of smoke, a second serpent, a little smaller 

 than the first, issued from beneath the chest of drawers, 

 and came to Abd-el-Kerim. 



Delaporte seized a second glass jar : ' Good,' said he, 

 ' that will make a pair.' 



Abd-el-Kerim drew a long face ; but he was caught, 

 and there was nothing for it but to give up the second 

 serpent as he had done the first. 



' Any more still ? ' inquired Delaporte. 



' No, not here.' 



' Where then ? ' 



The snake charmer turned towards the next room. 



' I smell one there,' said he. 



The next room was the drawing-room. 



' Let us go there, then,' said Delaporte. And taking 

 a glass jar under each arm, he gave two others to 

 his servant to cany, and led the way to the drawing- 

 room. 



There was one there. This one seemed to be a musi- 

 cal serpent, for he had taken refuge under the piano, and 

 in spite of Abd-el-Kerim's manifest reluctance, this snake 

 also promptly found its way into the jar. 



