seemed to be
high enough to give us standing room. Dinner was ready, and as soon as
we had disposed of it we went on the wharf.

We walked through the woods a short distance, and then came to an
orange-grove, with fields of corn six inches high, and sugar-cane of
the same height. Across these fields we could see a house, but we did
not care to visit it. The woods were full of flowers, and the ladies
gathered bouquets to adorn the cabin. I was assisting Miss Margie in
this pleasant occupation, when I suddenly heard a rattling sound just
ahead of me.

The young lady was between me and the spot from which the sound came.
Near her was Chloe, for we did not think it was necessary to confine
her to the boats in these wilds of the interior. I did not believe that
Griffin Leeds had followed us farther than Pilatka, though I had
neither seen nor heard from him since we left him tied to the railing
of the pier at Orange Park.

"Run away from there, Miss Margie! This way!" screamed Chloe, with
energy. "Come to me, missy!"

Though I had no idea what the matter was, I concluded to retreat in the
same direction. The scream of the stewardess brought up the rest of the
party, who demanded the cause of the outcry.

"That was a rattlesnake in there!" exclaimed Chloe. "I know his music
well enough."

"I should like to see him," said Owen, who had brought his gun with him
for the chance of any game he might see.

I picked up a stick, and went with him. As we approached the spot where
we had been before, the rattling was renewed.

"Look out, Mr. Owen! That snake will jump six feet, and bite as quick
as a flash," screamed Chloe.

"There he is," said Hop Tossford, when we were within twenty feet of
the reptile.

He was coiled up in a heap, and looked like a very large snake. He was
shaking all over, apparently with anger at being disturbed by our
approach; and it was this motion that shook the rattles in his tail.
While we were looking at him he made a leap which brought him within
twelve or fourteen feet of us, and again coiled himself up for another
spring. Owen aimed his gun, and fired into the centre of the coil. The
rattlesnake whirled and wriggled for a moment, and then lay still. We
could see that his head had been torn all to pieces by the shot, and he
was as dead as it was possible for a snake to be. We straightened him
out, and found that he was six feet long. When positively assured that
he was dead, the ladies came u