Year: 1874

made up our minds to try Australia,
and here we were living in a log hut I
had knocked up for myself, shepherd
ing and doing what little I could in the
shape of gardening, for that being my
right trade, with all the beautiful rich
soil lying fallow, it did seem sin to
me not to have turn at it so, getting
what seeds I could from Sydney, and
adding to the few I had in my; chest, I
managed to make quite q little bit Of
Eden of the little bit of land I broke
up around our hut. We were not saving
money, not to any extent, but there
was a roof over our heads, and no rent
to pay, lots of vegetables of our own
planting, < and not costing anything,
plenty Of work to do, and, one sort and
another, always plenty to eat; go that,
after what We had gone through in
England, you may be sure wewere both
willing to put up with such inconven-
fences as fell to our share, and, as q
matter of course, there were things to
encounter out there in what some peo-
pie would call wilderness, though it
was wilderness that blossomed like a
rose. There were times when Ae were
in dread of the blacks, who hnd done
some queer things here and there about;
then the place was terribly lonely and
out of the way if you wanted q doctor !;
and Mary used to joke me because I
never could get pint of beer, but I
could get on Just as we'll without it,
and, my word, what capital cup of
tea we had out there.


Well, Mary come out to me that day
looking so horribly CHASTITY that, being
naturally too fast at fancying troubles
in advance, I saw directly half a score
of blacks coming to spear us, and some
of them knocking out the children's
brains with the clubs and not the first
time either, but in few moments the
poor girl opened her eyes, and began
to stare about her. There were MO
blacks to be seen. Little Joe was sit
ting in the path playing, and, though
looked along the edge of the wood
behind the house, I could see no signs
of danger :; so began to see she must
have been taken ill, and turned over in
my own mind how should get help
for her.


just then her face grew contracted
again as her thoughts seemed to &c
back, and gasping once more, Harry,
Harry" she gave another shudder, and
said, "The baby-a snake!"


I could not see myself, but I know
turned pale, all the blood seeming to
rush to my heart, for if there is any.
thing of which am afraid it is snake
even going so far as to dislike eels, o1
which there were plenty in the river
close at hand.


don't know how we got there, but
the next thing I remember is standing
at the hut window, with Mary holding
little Joe tight in her arms, and me-
looking through at tho cradle where
our little thing of nine months old was
lying and my heart seemed to be turn
ing to ice as saw nestled in the foot ot
the cradle, partly hidden in the blanket
with some of it's horrible coils in full
sight, and it's head resting upon them,
the largest snake had seen since had
been in the country. The feeling was
something awful, and I stood there fo1
few moments leaning upon the round
handle of the hoe had caught up, no,
able to move, for my eyes were fixed
upon the headof the hidecus beast, and
1 expected every moment that the baby
would wake and make some movement
sufficient to irritate the snake, and the1
felt the little thing must die.


What should I do? asked myself at
the horrible feeling of helplessnest
wore off. If I crept in and reached the
cradle side unheard, I dared not chor
at the beast for fear of injuring thu
child, for could see that some of thu
folds lay right across it. I dared not
make noise, lest the next moment th.
child should wake as well as thereptile
for I knew the rapidity with which th<
reptiles could wreathe fold after folt
around the object they attacked while
if of poisonous nature, they strike il
an instant. Thoughts came swiftly
enough, but they were unavailing, TO-


to wait till the baby woke, or to go il
and attack the snake, seemed equally
dangerous. Even if I made sligll


noise the danger seemed as great, since


though the snake might wake first ant


glide off, tho probabilities were Just a


great that the child might wake ut th'


same time.


And so I turned over the chance


again and again, my eyes all the Will
| fixed upon the two sleeping occupant


of the cradle, whose pleasant warmth


had evidently attracked the reptile.