TKIALS AND TRIBULATIONS. 399 



AVe would rather encourage, than otherwise, the presence 

 of a few black-snakes on our premises, knowing full well 

 that they will do good service in destroying such of our 

 real foes as may be lurking in the grass. 



We have sometimes killed a black-snake — the largest we 

 have ever seen in Florida in the pine lands measured four 

 feet and was too slender to have swallowed any but a very 

 young chicken — we have killed them, but it was with re- 

 gret, and out of regard to others who could not conquer 

 the innate aversion Ave all feel toward snakes. 



Only very seldom is a moccasin or spread-adder met 

 with. These are both slow, sluggish reptiles, and we have 

 frequently heard it asserted that even teasing with a stick 

 will not provoke them to strike. 



The only real fear one need have with regard to these 

 occasional visitors to our fields and groves lies in their slug- 

 gish nature. Other snakes, seeing or hearing a person ap- 

 proach, will dart away like a flash, these will merely lie 

 still and look at you, and if you step on them they punish 

 your temerity or carelessness. 



The spread-adder will warn you to keep your distance 

 by uttering a low hissing that can not be mistaken, like a 

 locomotive blowing off steam in the far distance. Three 

 times only, during all our long years of residence in Flor- 

 ida, have we come to close quarters- with the spread-adder, 

 and each time it gave us the warning to "Beware!" and 

 each time, also, we hastened away, and returned, exclaim- 

 ing * ' Hoe ! " as we brought that handy weaj^on down upon 

 the enemy's back, and then used it to dig a little grave for 

 his remains. 



li es, in nine years we have encountered near our piney- 

 woods home just three spread-adders and five moccasins, 

 and in each instance we could say, with Commodore Deca- 

 tur, ' ' We have met the enemy, and he is ours ! " 



