THIRD JOURNEY. 179 



enough to break my arm, in case he got twisted round 

 it. There was not a moment to be lost. I laid hold 

 of his tail with the left hand, one knee being on the 

 ground ; with the right I took off my hat, and held it 

 as you would hold a shield for defence. 



The snake instantly turned, and came on at me, with 

 his head about a yard from the ground, as if to ask 

 me, what business I had to take liberties with his tail. 

 I let him come, hissing and open-mouthed, within two 

 feet of my face, and then, with all the force I was 

 master of, I drove my fist, shielded by my hat, full in 

 his jaws. He was stunned and confounded bj' the 

 blow, and ere he could recover himself, I had seized his 

 throat with both hands, in such a position that he 

 could not bite me ; I then allowed him to coil himself 

 round my body, and marched off with him as my lawful 

 prize. He pressed me hard, but not alarmingly so. 



In the mean time, Daddy Quashi, having found the 

 umbrella, and having heard the noise which the fray 

 occasioned, was coming cautiously up. As soon as he 

 saw me, and in what company I was, he turned about 

 and ran off home, I after him, and shouting, to increase 

 his fear. On scolding him for his cowardice, the old 

 rogue begged that I would forgive him, for that the 

 sight of the snake had positively turned him sick at 

 stomach. 



When I had done with the carcass of the large 

 snake, it was conveyed into the forest, as I expected 

 that it would attract the king of the vultures, as soon 

 as time should have rendered it sufficiently savoury. 

 In a few days it sent forth that odour which a carcass 

 should send forth, and about twenty of the common 

 vultures came and perched on the neighbouring trees ; 



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