sloping approach; a chilly wind 

 swept by and through my Eve's 

 costume most unpleasantly, when 

 bump, bang-splash! I had slid full 

 length, face downward into the 

 water. 



O mournful deceivers above are 

 you the unwilling servants of the 

 monster my affrighted eyes now 

 gazed upon? Life may hold worse 

 moments, I pray not. What fiend 

 had dashed me into that icy water 

 to disturb, in frantic struggles for the 

 life-giving air, the owner of this pool 

 a water-snake with darting tongue 

 in a flattened head. It was not 

 courage but sheer fright that tight- 

 ened my hold on the rock rim near 

 his writhing tail. There seemed yards 

 of the squirming horror; in fact it 

 filled the universe. It seemed to be 

 enveloping me in swirling waves, as 

 the dragon of the pool gradually 

 glided under the rock. Then sud- 

 denly again the pines sang : 



dare all to win. " 



I let go and managed to scramble 

 out of the water, a frozen rag. 

 It had been such a delightful bath! 



