XIX THE STRICKEN CARAVAN 217 
my horse and to gallop as fast as possible through 
the pestilential spot. When I had almost got back 
to railhead I happened to notice a huge serpent 
stretched out on the grass, warming himself, his 
skin of old gold and bright green sparkling  bril- 
liantly in the sunshine. He appeared to take little 
notice of me as I cautiously approached, and was 
probably drowsy and sated with a heavy meal. I 
shot him through the head as he lay, and the 
muscular contortions after death throughout his 
long body gave me a very vivid idea of the 
tremendous squeezing power possessed by these 
reptiles. Skinning him was an easy process, but 
unfortunately his beautiful colouring soon disap- 
peared, the old gold turning to white and the 
bright green to lustreless black. 
WART-HOG 
