208 WANDERINGS IN 



THIRD went up with an intention to kill it ; he there saw 



JOURNEY. 



a snake, and hastened back to inform me of it. 



Goes in The sun had just passed the meridian in a 

 snake. cloudless sky ; there was scarcely a bird to be seen, 

 for the winged inhabitants of the forest, as though 

 overcome by heat, had retired to the thickest 

 shade : all would have been like midnight silence, 

 were it not for the shrill voice of the pi-pi-yo, 

 every now and then resounded from a distant 

 tree. I was sitting with a little Horace in my 

 hand, on what had once been the steps which 

 formerly led up to the now mouldering and dis- 

 mantled building. The negro and his little dog 

 came down the hill in haste, and I was soon 

 informed that a snake had been discovered ; but 

 it was a young one, called the Bush-master, a rare 

 and poisonous snake. 



I instantly rose up, and laying hold of the eight- 

 foot lance, which was close by me, " Well then, 

 Daddy," said I, " we'll go and have a look at the 

 snake." I was barefoot, with an old hat, and 

 check shirt, and trowsers on, and a pair of braces 

 to keep them up. The negro had his cutlass, and 

 as we ascended the hill, another negro, armed 

 with a cutlass, joined us, judging, from our pace, 

 that there was something to do. The little dog 

 came along with us, and when we had got about 

 half a mile in the forest, the negro stopped, and 

 pointed to the fallen tree : all was still and silent : 

 I told the negroes not to stir from the place 



