BEING LOST IN THE FOREST. 
41 
intention by puffing out its neck, moving its 
head from side to side, glaring with its eyes, 
and making a loud hissing. 
All this it was doing at the present 
moment ; and the soldier fully expecting it to 
dart upon him, took to his heels, and ran 
away. 
He continued running until he was out of 
breath ; and then found himself in a more 
open part of the forest. A number of fallen 
trees lay upon the ground, as though a hurri- 
cane had torn them up, and tossed them there. 
This was just the place for snakes, and a great 
many, of different kinds and colours, were 
gliding in and out of the prostrate logs. They 
piade off as fast as they could, and disappeared 
among the bushes ; but still the soldier halted, 
and dare not proceed a step further. A great 
brown and yellow snake, as thick round aa 
his body, and nearly thirty feet long, lay coiled 
upon the ground. It did not attempt to stir, 
but raised its head, and fixed its keen eyes 
upon him. It was the terrible rock snake,* 
of which so many marvellous stories are told. 
* Python. 
