Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-06-06
CHAPTER iii.
THE WOMAN AND THE SERPENT.

CHATTER Ill.
THE WOMAN AND THE SERPENT.
When within so yards or so Of Mr..
Mackenzie's camp. l witnessed rather
exciting little adventure.
Beneath an awning that had been
...Ssged under the trees the squatter was
sitting with his daughter. A little
farther off were the wagons where Sa-
vile. the cook. was busying himself over
camp oven. A little farther still
could see the two black boys engaged.
after the manner Of their people. wan
dering about. tomahawk in hand. from
tree to tree, evidently with an eye to a
possum, an iguana or sugar bag. +"
as they call hive Of bees. Suddenly,
when passing a fallen log. saw one Of
them give skip and jump and heard
him sing out 10 his fellow;
Vary. Vary. look out Big fellow
snakef'
Even from where stood il could be
seen. for il was an enormous tiger
snake. One could see the patches of yell
low cleaning amid the horrible. sinuous
folds IL coiled itself up and stool on
the defensive. Yarry promptly cut of
its retreat in another direction Ii had
thrown itself at SNOWFALL ana narrow
ly missed that gentleman's bare shina
cut stick as ran, intending 10 kill
il. for bushmen invariably dispatch a
snake upon principle. There Is not
much 10 fear from one IL You keep well
in front and keep cool. II IL is good
fighter. there is just enough danger TO
give a certain relish TO the entertain
a.snt But the sporting bent Of my ma
ture was not TO he indulged Miss Mac
kenzie threw down the book she had
been reading and cried. "Savile. hand
me your whip and tie mp the dogs
Here. miss" cried the cook. run
ming toward her with it. Savile was
courtesy itself where the female sex was
concerned. "But don't get too close:
hes an ugly chap"
At the same moment Yarry sang ont
TO me. "You wait Bit white fellow
missis-that one white Mary--she kill
IN plenty quick-that fellow kill IN
snake
stood still and waited; things were
growing interesting. had seen girls in
tho bush kill snakes, but she was the
first had seen practice upon one with
stock whip. which was evidently her
contemplated mode Of warfare This
strange girl had pinned up her riding
habit. 40 as not to interfere with her
freedom Of action. and took the whip
from the hands Of the coHk
"Now. BE- careful. Norahl" her father
cried. But il was evidently no new
sight 10 him: he sat coolly on camp
stool and watched what was going for.
ward
She ran into the open until she was
within few yards Of the snake. which,
with body coiled and with head and
neck reared and svaying from side 10
side. looked the very incarnation OF
wickcdness As most readers know, the
handle of stock whip is short. perhaps
not more than "a inches in length at
the outside. while the lash is 8 or Q feet
long; il requires skillful handling. And
now the light. 1.-THE figure Of the girl
stepped closer to the snake. her head
being ever so slightly inclined forward.
I observed heightened color steal into
the delicate olive Of her cheeks As
watched those great. inscrutable dark
eyes of hers. in which some upcanny
kind Of glamour seemed TO lie. ! thought
Of the snake fascinating the bird, but i
also thought that the snake had met
more than its match this time. There
was something very like smile upon
her lips as she watched it. She drew
the soft. plant body Of the whip through
the palm Of her left hand. and then.
raising her right arm. the lash described
an airy circle round her head With a
forward and downward motion II cut
through the air; sharp report like the
crack Of a pistol right over the snakes
head was the result ! never before had
seen girl handle stock whip ar she
did. With eyes that seemed to blaze
with fury the snake threw itself half OF
its own length toward her and struck
at her with a lightninglike rapidity.
Ny heart was in my mouth. At the
same moment one of the blacks spsang
forward as il to deal the angry reptile q