came that appalling sound. and another dart, with the same re- 

 sponse from the rat. I cannot depict the seeming tussle of each 

 round. It was not so much on either part an effort to close in. as 

 it was to deliver its own shot, and then get out of the way, so that 

 on the part of the snake each charge received caused a squirming 

 that looked like a wild beating of the air. She went at the poor 

 rodent again and again. Matters were waxing desperate. The 

 rounds were quicker and more severe. There was less blowing and 

 harder fighting. I was now desirous to separate them, but knew 

 not how to bring it about. The truth told, I was getting to be 

 somewhat nervous about the personal appearance of my beautiful 

 serpent, which seemed in great peril of bodily damage. At last 

 both combatants seemed sick of their bargain. So there was a 

 temporary truce, which intermission of hostilities, as it often is 

 with wiser bodies, was made the opportunity of a mutual effort to 

 escape, the rat inspecting every part of the box, and gnawing at 

 every crevice ; the snake butting her nose in vain attempts to 

 break through the glass. The truce lasted .ten minutes. The rat 

 was sitting quietly in a corner cleaning its face with its paws. 

 The snake had ceased its vain darting at the glass cover, and. as 

 if for rest, had spread itself over two-thirds of the floor of the 

 box. It seemed as if a fair understanding had been reached, and 

 that hostilities were really at an end. It was a treacherous calm. 

 Incited by some cause the rat made a run for the opposite side of 

 the box. Alas ! this movement was the one fatal error of this 

 little hero's life. In attempting this, it had to cross over a por- 

 tion of its enemy's body. It was the merest touch, but that 

 touch was death. Instantly every particle of the serpent's body 

 flashed into activity, as if the whole had been powder, and a spark 

 of fire had fallen on it. In the merest fraction of a second of 

 time, the reptile that seemed to be lying so languid was trans- 

 formed into an inverted nest, under which was the poor rat. I 

 looked for the head of the snake. It was under this living nest, 

 holding at the hinder part its victim, which was doubled up in this 

 strange compression. And stranger still was the wonderful ad- 

 justment that a half minute of time sufficed to accomplish. The 

 inverted nest of coils opened at its upper or convex end, like the 

 crater of a miniature volcano. Out of this was evolved the head 

 and front feet of the little rodent, whose dark lustrous eyes stood 

 out and neck grew thick from the fearful compression. As the 



