n to the tree; and there was not one of the whole colony
that would not have perched upon her wrist or her pretty white
shoulders, or hopped about over her fair locks, without fear. It was
nothing unusual to her to see the pretty creatures playing about the
branches, or entering the long vertical tunnels that led upward to their
nests--nothing unusual for Trueey to listen for hours to their sweet
twittering, or watch their love-gambols around the borders of the vley.

She was not thinking of them at the moment, but of something else,
perhaps of the blue water-lilies--perhaps of the springbok--but
certainly not of them, as she tripped 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 XLII.

THE SPITTING-SNAKE.

"What can be the matter with my pretty birds?" asked Trueey 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 Trueey 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 Trueey, 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 Trueey's eyes have fallen upon the
monster who has disturbed the peaceful colony of weavers, and roused
them to such