166 DENIZENS OF THE DESERT 



that the lizard, who looked as though he had 

 been dead for some time, had his jaws closed 

 upon a fold of the snake's skin near the neck. 

 "This," I said, "is because rigor mortis has set 

 in and the jaws which had snapped in self- 

 defense when the snake attacked are now set 

 stiff in death. It's good enough for you, old 

 snake. For once the biter has been bitten." 



There was not the least motion in the lizard's 

 limbs; there was no doubt in my mind but that 

 all circulation of blood had long ago been cut 

 off by the constrictions of the snake's lithe 

 body. As though attempting to begin swallow- 

 ing the lizard, the snake was now trying this 

 way and that to close his jaws over the saurian's 

 head, but, since the lizard also had the snake 

 within its jaw-grip, the latter could get no hold 

 of any kind. 



Inasmuch as the darkness of night was com- 

 ing on so rapidly that I feared I would not be 

 able to see the end of this interesting struggle, 

 and since my sympathies were decidedly against 

 the reptile who had so hard-heartedly caught 

 this poor lizard, I decided before leaving to 

 untie this reptilian Gordian knot and deprive 



