132 EYE-BEAMS 



mate's rescue, and, seeing the battle over, was 

 he now waiting to avenge himself upon the 

 victor? But the odds were against him; my 

 friends soon had him stretched beside his com- 

 rade. 



The first snake killed had swallowed two 

 young jays just beginning to feather out. 



How the serpent discovered the nest would 

 be very interesting to know. What led him to 

 search in this particular tree amid all these 

 hundreds of trees that surrounded it? It is 

 probable that the snake watches like a cat, or, 

 having seen the parent birds about this tree, 

 explored it. Nests upon the ground and in 

 low boughs are frequently rifled by black 

 snakes, but I have never before known one to 

 climb to such a height in a forest tree. 



It would also be interesting to know if the 

 other snake was in the secret of this nest, and 

 was waiting near to share in its contents. One 

 rarely has the patience to let these little dramas 

 or tragedies be played to the end; one cannot 

 look quietly on, and see a snake devour any- 

 thing. Not even when it is snake eat snake. 

 Only a few days later my little boy called me 

 to the garden to see a black snake in the act of 

 swallowing a garter snake. The little snake 

 was holding back with all his might and main, 

 hooking his tail about the blackberry bushes, 

 and pulling desperately; still his black enemy 

 was slowly engulfing him, and had accom- 

 plished about eight or ten inches of him, when 

 he suddenly grew alarmed at some motion of 



