AN EXCITING SCENE. 253 



sympathy with the unfortunate creature, who 

 apparently was unable to tear herself away, over- 

 came our scientific curiosity. " Poor thing, she 11 

 be killed ! Let us drive her away ! " we cried. 

 We picked up small stones which we threw 

 toward her ; we threatened her with sticks ; we 

 " shooed " at her with demonstrations that would 

 have quickly driven away a robin in possession 

 of its senses. Not a step farther off did she 

 move ; she hopped one side to avoid our mis- 

 siles, but instantly fluttered back to her doom. 

 Meanwhile her mate appeared upon the scene, 

 hovering anxiously about in the trees overhead, 

 but not coming near the snake. 



By this time we had lost all interest in the 

 question whether a snake can charm a bird to its 

 destruction ; we thought only of saving the little 

 life in such danger. We looked around for 

 help ; my friend ran across the street to a house, 

 hurriedly secured the help of a man with a heavy 

 stick, and in two minutes the snake lay dead on 

 the ground. 



The bird, at once relieved, flew hastily to her 

 nest, showing no signs of mental aberration, or 

 any other effect of the strain she had been under. 

 The snake was what the man called a "bull 

 snake," and so closely resembled the rattler in 

 color and markings that, although its extermi- 

 nator had killed many of the more famous rep- 



