A SNAKE SCARE. I4I 
own ! ” and he hacked away vigorously for a few 
minutes. 
Dropping the hatchet, he was about thrusting 
his hand into the enlarged opening, when he 
drew back with a horrified scream, exclaiming : 
“ Red-hot demons ! there’s a snake in this 
hole ! ” 
“A snake ? ” echoed the trio on the ground. 
“Yes, by the jumping John Rogers! He 
poked his head up just as I was putting my hand 
in on to him ! ” and he began to descend. 
“ Hold on a minute, H — — . If he is quiet 
now, give him a dose of chloroform and bring 
him down with you,” suggested Dr. McL — — . 
“All right,” he replied, “ only be quick. This 
climbing trees for snakes is rather pokerish 
business.” 
A bottle of the fluid and some cotton were 
reached up to him, and the latter, after being well 
wet with the anaesthetic, was pressed firmly over 
the mouth of the hole. 
“ There, I guess that will cap his quartz for 
him ! ” he remarked in a few minutes. “ Get out 
your snake-box, and I’ll fish him up.” 
“ You mean you’ll 
“ ‘ Take him up tenderly, 
Lift him with care, 
Fashioned so slenderly, 
Scaly and bare—-’ ” 
parodied the doctor. 
