lightning movements of one. I had crossed the 

 path of a swamp black -snake, and judging from 

 the speed and whirl, it was a snake of uncommon 

 size. 



The path, a few paces farther on, opened into 

 a small patch of low grass. Just as I was getting 

 through the brake to this spot I stopped short 

 with a chill. In the ferns near me shrilled a 

 hissing whistle, a weird, creepy whistle that 

 made me cold — a fierce, menacing sound, all 

 edge, and so thin that it slivered every nerve 

 in me. And then, without a stir in the brake, 

 up out of the low grass in front of me rose a 

 blue-black, glittering head. 



I have little faith in the spell of a snake's eye, 

 yet for a moment I was held by the subtle, mas- 

 terful face that had risen so unexpectedly, so 

 coolly before me. It was lifted a foot out of the 

 grass. The head upon its lithe, round neck was 

 poised motionless, but set as with a hair-spring. 

 The flat, pointed face was turned upon me, so 

 that I could see a patch of white upon the throat. 

 Evidently the snake had just sloughed an old 

 skin, for the sunlight gleamed iridescent on the 

 shining jet scales. It was not a large head ; it 

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