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 



