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THE SERF A ATS.
181
" The pig did not catch you, then! How
were you caught ?" was heard from another
busy tongue; and a head peeped inquisitively
from amongst the coiled batch of variegated
snakes.
" How was I caught ?" replied the
rattlesnake, and the head lifted itself on high as if
looking for something. "I lay coiled on a sunny
bank, with all my newly-hatched little ones
darting around me, when suddenly they’ all
took fright Of course I opened my jaws, and
my darling offspring took refuge in my mouth.
A crowd of people came up, some pale white
men, as if they had no blood in them, just like
our visitors now-a-days, and some naked
natives, whom we always prefer, because with
them we have a good chance for a bite. No
serpent cares to dart through a European’s
loose clothes. All these rascally natives had
wreaths of the white ash-tree leaves twined
round their ankles, and they all carried branches
of this deadly foliage in their hands, and made
a circle all around me in great haste. There
was no escaping them ; and I could not even
bite, for I had my young ones in my jaws, and
I loved my offspring; so I was obliged to coil
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