SNAKE. 
113 
tempt, it seems, he was defeated by his keen-eyed 
antagonist, who, twisting his tail twice round a 
stalk of hemp, and seizing his adversary by twisting 
his own neck twice round that of the water snake, 
pulled it back from the ditch. To prevent a de- 
feat, the latter took hold likewise of a stalk on the 
bank, and, by the acquisition of that point of re- 
sistance, became a match for his black enemy. 
Thus mutually fastened together, and stretched at 
their full length, they pulled, but pulled in vain ; 
and in the moments of greatest exertion, that part 
of their bodies which was entwined appeared ex- 
tremely small, while the rest seemed inflated, and 
now and then convulsed with strong undulations 
rapidly following each other. “ At one time,” says 
our observer, “ the conflict seemed decided : the 
water snake bent itself into great folds, and by that 
operation rendered the other more than commonly 
out-stretched; the next minute the new struggles of 
the black one gained an unexpected superiority, it 
acquired two great folds likewise, which necessarily 
extended the body of its adversary in proportion as 
it had contracted its own. These efforts were al- 
ternate ; victory seemed doubtful, inclining some- 
times to one side sometimes to the other, until at 
last the stalk to which the black snake was fastened 
suddenly gave way, and, in consequence of this ac- 
cident, they both plunged into the ditch. The 
water did not extinguish their vindictive rage ; for 
by their agitations I could still trace, though I could 
VOL. II. I 
