gaily along the edge of the lake.

Her attention, however, was suddenly attracted to the birds.

All at once, and without any apparent cause, they commenced screaming
and fluttering around the tree, their cries and gestures betokening a
high state of excitement or alarm.

CHAPTER FORTY FOUR.

THE SPITTING-SNAKE.

"What can be the matter with my pretty birds?" asked Truey of herself.
"Something wrong surely! I see no hawk. Perhaps they are fighting
among themselves. I shall go round and see. I shall soon pacify them."

And so saying she mended her pace; and passing round the end of the
lake, walked out upon the peninsula until she stood under the willow.

There was no underwood. The tree stood alone upon the very end of the
spit of land, and Truey went close in to its trunk. Here she stopped
and looked up among the branches, to ascertain what was causing so much
excitement among the birds.

As she approached, several of the little creatures had flown towards
her, and alighted upon her arms and shoulders; but not as was their wont
when desiring to be fed. They appeared to be in a state of alarm, and
had come to her for protection.

Some enemy certainly must be near, thought Truey, though she could see
none.

She looked around and above. There were no hawks in the air, nor on the
neighbouring trees,--no birds of prey of any kind. Had there been one
in the willow, she could easily have seen it, as the foliage was light
and thin; besides a hawk would not have remained in the tree with her
standing so near. What, then, caused the trouble among the birds? what
was still causing it--for they were as noisy and terrified as ever? Ha!
At last the enemy appears--at last Truey's eyes have fallen upon the
monster who has disturbed the peaceful colony of weavers, and roused
them to such a pitch of excitement.

Slowly gliding along a horizontal branch, grasping the limb in its many
spiral folds, appeared the body of a large serpent. Its scales
glittered as it moved, and it was the shining of these that had caught
Truey's eyes, and directed them upon the hideous reptile.

When she first saw it, it was gliding spirally along one of the
horizontal branches of the willow, and coming, as it were, _from_ the
nests of the birds. Her eyes, however, had scarce rested upon it,
before its long slippery body passed from the branch, and the next
moment it was crawling head-foremost down the main trunk of the tree.