196 
WANDERINGS IN 
THIHD 
JOURNEY- 
twisted round it. There was not a moment to be 
lost. I laid hold of his tail with the left hand, one 
knee being; on the ground ; with the rig;ht I took off 
my hat, and held it as you would hold a shield for 
defence. 
The snake instantly turned, and came on at me, 
with his head about a yard from the ground, as if to 
ask me, what business I had to take liberties with 
his tail. I let him come, hissing and open-mouthed, 
within two feet of my face, and then, with all the 
force I was master of, I drove my fist, shielded by 
my hat, full in his jaws. He was stunned and con¬ 
founded by the blow, and ere he could recover him¬ 
self, I had seized his throat with both hands, in such 
a position that he could not bite me; I then allowed 
him to coil himself round my body, and marched off 
with him as my lawful prize. He pressed me hard, 
but not alarmingly so. 
In the mean time, Daddy Quashi having found 
the umbrella, and having heard the noise which the 
fray occasioned, was coming cautiously up. As 
soon as he saw me, and in what company I was, he 
turned about and ran off home, I after him, and 
shouting to increase his fear. On scolding him for 
his cowardice, the old rogue begged that I would 
forgive him, for that the sight of the snake had 
positively turned him sick at stomach. 
When I had done with the carcass of the larg;e 
snake, it was conveyed into the forest, as I expected 
that it would attract the king of the vultures, as 
soon as time should have rendered it sufficiently 
