o snakes.

I went ashore as quickly as I could get a boat manned and rowed. I took
Don on a leash, a shot-gun loaded, and both pockets of my jacket full of
cartridges. We ran swiftly along the beach, Don and I, and then turned
into the grass to make a short cut for Graves's house. All of a sudden
Don began to tremble with eagerness and nuzzle and sniff among the roots
of the grass. He was "making game."

"Good Don," I said, "good boy--hunt her up! Find her!"

The moon had risen. I saw two figures standing in the porch of Graves's
house. I was about to call to them and warn Graves that Bo was loose and
dangerous--when a scream--shrill and frightful--rang in my ears. I saw
Graves turn to his bride and catch her in his arms.

When I came up she had collected her senses and was behaving splendidly.
While Graves fetched a lantern and water she sat down on the porch, her
back against the house, and undid her garter, so that I could pull the
stocking off her bitten foot. Her instep, into which Bo's venomous teeth
had sunk, was already swollen and discolored. I slashed the teeth-marks
this way and that with my lancet. And Mrs. Graves kept saying: "All
right--all right--don't mind me--do what's best."

Don's leash had wedged between two of the porch planks, and all the time
we were working over Mrs. Graves he whined and struggled to get loose.

"Graves," I said, when we had done what we could, "if your wife begins
to seem faint, give her brandy--just a very little--at a time--and--I
think we were in time--and for God's sake don't ever let her know _why_
she was bitten--or by _what_----"

Then I turned and freed Don and took off his leash.

The moonlight was now very white and brilliant. In the sandy path that
led from Graves's porch I saw the print of feet--shaped just like human
feet--less than an inch long. I made Don smell them, and said:

"Hunt close, boy! Hunt close!"

Thus hunting, we moved slowly through the grass toward the interior of
the island. The scent grew hotter--suddenly Don began to move more
stiffly--as if he had the rheumatism--his eyes straight ahead saw
something that I could not see--the tip of his tail vibrated
furiously--he sank lower and lower--his legs worked more and more
stiffly--his head was thrust forward to the full stretch of his neck
toward a thick clump of grass. In the act of taking a wary step he came
to a dead halt--his right forepaw just clear of the ground. The tip of
his tail st