he cobra of Africa--far more
dangerous than its congener the _cobra de capello_ of India, because far
more active in its movements, and equally fatal in its bite.

Trueey knew not this. She only knew that there was a great ugly snake,
nearly twice her own length, with a large open mouth, and glistening
tongue, apparently ready to eat her up. That was fearful enough for her,
poor thing! and she gazed and trembled, and trembled and gazed again.

Angry as the cobra appeared, it did not turn aside to attack her.
Neither did it remain by the tree. After uttering its long loud hiss, it
descended to the ground, and glided rapidly off.

It made directly for the isthmus, as if intending to pass it, and
retreat to some bushes that grew at a distance off on the mainland.

Trueey was in hopes that such was its design, and was just beginning to
feel safe again, when, all at once, the snake coiled itself upon the
narrow neck of land, as if it intended to stay there.

It had executed this manoeuvre so suddenly, and so apparently without
premeditation, that Trueey looked to discover the cause. The moment
before, it was gliding along in rapid retreat, its glistening form
stretched to its full length along the earth. The next instant it had
assumed the appearance of a coiled cable, over the edge of which
projected its fierce head, with the scaly skin of its neck broadly
extended, into that hood-like form which characterises the cobra.

Trueey, we have said, looked for the cause of this sudden change in the
tactics of the reptile. She learnt it at the first glance.

There stretched a piece of smooth sloping ground from the edge of the
lake back into the plain. By this the little peninsula was approached.
As she glanced outward, she saw the springbok advancing down this slope.
It was the approach of the antelope that had interrupted the retreat of
the serpent!

Trueey, on first discovering the snake, had uttered a cry of alarm. This
cry had summoned her pet--that had lingered behind browsing upon the
grass--and it was now bounding forward, with its white tail erect, and
its large brown eyes glistening with an expression of inquiry.

It saw its mistress out upon the peninsula. Had she called it? Why had
she uttered that strange cry? They were not sounds of joyful import it
had heard. Was anything amiss? Yonder she stood. It would gallop to her
and see what was wanted; and with such thoughts passing through its
brain, the bright lit