240 DAYS OUT OF DOORS. 



frightened, and made desperate efforts to escape, and this 

 fear of that spot, the table-top, continued during the re- 

 mainder of my stay in camp. 



I had no pet snakes, I am sorry to say, but I made 

 some progress in acquiring the good graces of one small 

 serpent, a half-grown garter-snake, that was brought to 

 me a day or two after my arrival. While I held it in my 

 hands, and for the two days it was in a little box, all ef- 

 forts to tame it were a flat failure. As it was quite unin- 

 teresting, I let it go, and it took refuge under the floor. 

 During the heat of the day this timid snake would bask 

 on the floor while I was out, but scuttled off as soon as I 

 appeared. So I tried my old tactics of gradual approach. 

 First my shadow would fall upon it, then I would move 

 a step or two forward and remain a moment perfectly 

 still, then advance, and so on. Day by day I gained a 

 little, and at last could enter the tent. But this was all. 

 The snake preserved a make-ready attitude, and if I 

 stooped or swung my arms it was gone in an instant. 

 Very different proved a young black-snake that my asso- 

 ciate, the archaeologist, had nerve enough to bring to me. 

 It would do nothing but bite, and fairly exhausted itself 

 in impotent rage. Although less than a foot in length 

 and but a few weeks old, it was unteachable. Its hatred 

 of mankind had not been developed by experience, but 

 was inherited, and this law of heredity I endeavored to 

 overcome by kindness. But the snake would have none 

 of it, and not even when alone would it accept the food 

 provided. I mention this because an adult black-snake, 

 although fierce and brave when cornered, is something of 

 a coward, after all ; and, as I know by experience, it is 

 intelligent and tamable. I have never dared to write the 

 history of one I finally conquered by persistent kindness. 

 But does not this all go to show how intelligent snakes 

 really are ? When young, hopelessly unreasonable ; when 



