aculation or two,
and a few words as if of appeal or command, which had the effect of
making Mak step forward to the pigmy's help, and together the blacks
hauled the dying reptile to where the morning's work had been going on.

"Well, I am disappointed," cried Mark. "It's only a little one, after
all."

"Little one!" said the doctor, as he bent over the stretched out prize.
"Why, it's a good twelve feet long! A python, evidently."

"And pretty thick," said Dean; "quite as thick round as my leg," and
raising his foot he planted it upon the serpent near to its tail. "Oh!"
he shouted, as he started back, for at his touch the reptile drew itself
up together almost in a knot, and then stretched itself out again, to
the great delight of the two blacks.

"Well, I don't see anything to laugh at," said Dean, and he looked
rather discomfited, while the doctor went on, "Beautifully marked. Not
unlike the Australian carpet snake; but quite spoiled as a specimen."

"Not a nice thing to take home, doctor," said Mark.

"The skin would not have been very heavy," said the doctor, smiling.

"Well, no," said Mark. "I say, Dean, carpet snake! How many skins
would it take to make one carpet?"

"Beg pardon, sir," said Dan; "think these 'ere have got any stings in
their tails?"

"No. Why?"

"Because he managed to catch me a flip across the lynes, and I've got a
sort of fancy that it's beginning to prickle, though I can't say as it
warn't a thorn."

"Ha, ha!" laughed Mark.

"I don't think about it, my lad," said the doctor, "and you may just as
well get rid of that popular fallacy."

"But some of them do sting, sir," said Buck, "because I did hear of a
fellow being killed by one in a precious little time."

"Not by a sting, my man," said the doctor, "but by a bite from some
small serpent that had poison fangs."

"Then don't no snakes have stings in their tails, sir?"

"No, my man; you must turn to insects or scorpions for dangers of that
class."

"Ho!" said Dan thoughtfully, as he stood looking down at the slowly
heaving length at his feet. "Well, I never knowed that before. But if
I had ha' knowed that this 'ere customer had got his nest in among them
ol' stones just where I was digging I should have mutinied against
orders and sent old Buck. Beg pardon, sir, but could you say if this
'ere was a cock or a hen?"

"No, I couldn't," said the doctor, laughing. "Why do you ask?"

"I was only wondering, sir, whet