136 ON THE UPPER ST. JOHN’S. 
Whether it was an optical illusion I cannot 
say, but it seemed to me that the creature 
lay entirely above the surface, —as if it had 
been an inflated skin rather than a live 
snake. We passed close by it, but it made 
no offer to move, only darting out its tongue 
as the boat slipped past. I spoke to the 
boy, who at once ceased rowing. 
“J think I must go back and kill that 
fellow,” he said. 
“Why so?” I asked, with surprise, for I 
had looked upon it simply as a curiosity. 
‘Oh, I don’t like to see it live. It’s the 
poisonousest snake there is.” 
As he spoke he turned the boat: but the 
snake saved him further trouble, for just 
then it uncoiled and swam directly toward 
us, as if it meant to come aboard. “Oh, 
you ’re coming this way, are you?” said the 
boy sarcastically. ‘ Well, come on!” The 
snake came on, and when it got well within 
range he took up his fishing-rod (with hooks 
at the end for drawing game out of the 
reeds and bonnets), and the next moment 
the snake lay dead upon the water. He 
slipped the end of the pole under it and 
slung it ashore. ‘There! how do you like 
