90 OLD BLACK BASS 



This was his first real bodily encounter 

 with the reptile. But he needed no expe- 

 rience to guide him. The experience of the 

 past was his as a racial habit; and now the 

 Voice of the ages told him what to do. 



The snake reached the nest and slid its flat 

 head over the first stone and sucked up an 

 egg. Lidless eyes flamed with gluttony. 

 Then it sensed Old Black Bass's approach 

 and jerked its head threateningly high. 

 Black tongue licked warning. 



But the big fish's hard maxillary met the 

 sinuous body six inches back of the head and 

 thrust it off the nest. There was lightning- 

 quick contraction and Old Black Bass was 

 wrapped up in the coils of the reptile as a 

 mummy is swathed in bandages. But the 

 slick mucous that covered him now served 

 him well: the very pressure of the snake 

 caused the fish to slip through the coils like 

 an apple seed shot from a youngster's 

 fingers. 



For the first time the snake showed anger 

 and seriousness. Its eyes glowed with 

 wicked determination. Like the hammer of 

 a gun drawn back and then let fall, its 

 muscular body reared up and descended on 



