THE CATBIRD 75 



thinks of the great myth o£ the Tempter and the 

 " cause of all our woe," and wonders if the Arch 

 Enemy is not now playing off some of his pranks 

 before him. Whether we call it snake or devil 

 matters little. I could but admire his terrible 

 beauty, however; his black, shining folds, his 

 easy, gliding movement, head erect, eyes glisten- 

 ing, tongue playing like subtle flame, and the in- 

 visible means of his almost winged locomotion. 



The parent birds, in the mean while, kept 

 up the most agonizing cry, at times fluttering 

 furiously about their pursuer, and actually laying 

 hold of his tail with their beaks and claws. On 

 being thus attacked, the snake would suddenly 

 double upon himself and follow his own body 

 back, thus executing a strategic movement that 

 at first seemed almost to paralyze his victim and 

 place her within his grasp. Not quite, however. 

 Before his jaws could close upon the coveted prize 

 the bird would tear herself away, and, apparently 

 faint and sobbing, retire to a higher branch. His 

 reputed powers of fascination availed him little, 

 though it is possible that a frailer and less com- 

 bative bird might have been held by the fatal 

 spell. Presently, as he came gliding down the 

 slender body of a leaning alder, his attention was 

 attracted by a slight movement of my arm ; eye- 

 ing me an instant, with that crouching, utterly 



