the solemn tone
and look of Roughgrove.

"Don't be alarmed, Joe," said Glenn, turning him again on his back.
"Sneak will soon be here, and La-u-na says the plantain will be sure
to cure you. William tells me that he has seen the Indians permit the
snakes to bite them for a mere trifle in money, so certain were they
of being restored by the plant. And indeed he never knew a bite to
terminate fatally."

"But I'm afraid Sneak won't come in time," replied Joe, somewhat
comforted.

"Pshaw! he won't loiter in a case of this kind--he knows it is no
joke," continued Glenn.

"But suppose he can't _find_ any plantain--then I'm dead to a
certainty! Oh me!"

"Does the pain increase much?" asked Mary.

"Oh, yes! its ten times worse than it was ten minutes ago! I'm going
fast--I can't move either leg now," he continued, in a weak utterance.

Glenn grew uneasy. Joe was pale--very pale, and breathed hard.

Boone entered, with a smile on his lip.

"Have you got the plantain?" asked Joe, in feeble accents, with his
languid eyes nearly closed, thinking it was Sneak.

"Sit up and tell me how you feel," said Boone, in vain striving to
repress his smile.

"Oh, St. Peter! I haven't strength enough to lift my hand," said Joe,
his eyes still closed.

"Did you find the snake?" asked Glenn.

"Yes," replied Boone. Joe groaned audibly. "I will tell you all about
it," he continued; "I found the spot where Joe had been gathering the
berries, and tracked him without difficulty to every bush he visited
by the bruised grass under his foot-prints. At length I came to the
cluster of bushes where he received the wound. I stood in his cracks
and saw where he had plucked the raspberries. When about to cast down
my eyes in quest of the snake, suddenly I felt a blow on my own
ankle!"

"Did the same snake bite you?" asked Mary, quickly.

"Yes," replied Boone, still smiling. Joe opened his eyes, and after
gazing a moment at Boone, asked him if he did not suffer much pain.

"Fully as much as you do--but hear me through. I sprang back with some
violence, I admit, but I did not run away. Lifting my cane, I returned
with a determination to kill the snake. I stooped down very low to
ascertain the precise position of its head, which was concealed by a
large mullen leaf--I saw its eyes and its _bill_--"

"What!" exclaimed Joe, rising up on his elbow with unwonted vigour,
and his eyes riveted on the speaker.

"Yes, its _bill_", continued Boone.