My Snake-Stick 



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" And to think," exclaimed the girl, under 

 her breath, " that yesterday I went wading close 

 by that stump, to get that cast-skin I took home 

 perhaps the old coat of this very snake ! 

 and came within an inch of clambering up 

 among those very roots ! And, look ! I can see 

 the hole where he lives." 



Finding that this bravo of our jungle, ac- 

 customed to fear nothing the woods or water 

 contained (excepting only the all-conquering 

 blacksnakes), meant to stay upon his throne, 

 un alarmed by our presence, I asked a little 

 boy standing on the river-bank to fetch my 

 revolver from the camp. Then I went back 

 into the boat, put on my footgear and we went 

 ashore. 



Taking the pistol in one hand and Helen's 

 well-tried snake-stick in the other, I crept 

 through the bushes to a position in the rear of 

 the old stump. The snake scrutinized the 

 movements with vigilant eyes, arched his neck 

 with increased ferocity, yet changed position 

 only far enough to face me well when I men- 

 aced him from the new direction. 



