ON THE UPPER ST. JOHN’S. 185 
but had never been obliged to chase one in 
this fashion. Perhaps there was a Jonah in 
the ship ; for though I sympathized with the 
boy, I sympathized also, and still more 
warmly, with the otter. It acted as if life 
were dear to it, and for aught I knew it had 
as good a right to live as either the boy or I. 
No such qualms disturbed me a few min- 
utes later, when, as the boat was grazing the 
reeds, [ espied just ahead a snake lying in 
wait among them. I gave the alarm, and 
the boy looked round. “ Yes,” he said, “a 
big one, a moccasin, —a cotton-mouth ; but 
I’ll fix him.” He pulled a stroke or two 
nearer, then lifted his oar and brought it 
down splash ; but the reeds broke the blow, 
and the moceasin slipped into the water, 
apparently unharmed. That was a case for 
powder and shot. Florida people have a 
poor opinion of a man who meets a venom- 
ous snake, no matter where, without doing 
his best to kill it. How strong the feeling 
is my boatman gave me proof within ten min- 
utes after his failure with the cotton-mouth. 
He had pulled out into the middle of the 
river, when I noticed a beautiful snake, short 
and rather stout, lying coiled on the water. 
