My Snake-Stick 



r 



pass without any preliminary movement or 

 warning. But this specimen did nothing of 

 the sort, nor did he even draw himself into a 

 coil, but simply lay still, with upraised head and 

 attentive eye, in which I thought I saw a cynical 

 glare, as if the creature might be saying to 

 himself : " Well, if I was a great animal like 

 that I wouldn't jump at the sight of as small 

 a thing as I am." 



The path was one we continually used ; often 

 after dark. That this reptile must be put out 

 of the way was certain, but how? 



The reader may deem this much ado about 

 nothing ; but there is to me, as to most persons, 

 I believe, a peculiar terror in approaching a 

 poisonous snake, an unexplained, yet real repug- 

 nance felt for all reptiles, originating, no doubt, 

 in the frequent inability to distinguish at a 

 glance between venomous and non-venomous 

 kinds, and strengthened by heredity. 



This feeling must have arisen in a primitive 

 time when our forefathers dwelt in the jungle 

 a tropical jungle, one must believe where many 

 serpents were dangerous, so that it behooved 

 ^ 87 fo> 



