w, feeling that he had lost more than
half his length, scuttled away, and hid himself among the logs.

It was well for him, as it proved afterwards, that he got off, even thus
mutilated; and it would have been better for the skink had he remained
in his hole. The battle between the two had carried them some distance
from the spot where it first commenced, and under the leafy, spreading
branches of a mulberry-tree. While the fight was raging, a slight
movement in the leaves above had attracted the attention of the boys.
The next moment a red object was thrust downward, until a foot or so of
it appeared hanging clear of the branches. It was about the thickness
of a walking-cane; but the glistening scales and the elegant curving
form told that this singular object was a serpent.

It did not remain stationary. It was slowly and gradually letting
itself down--for more of its body was every moment becoming visible,
until a full yard of it hung out from the leaves. The remainder was
hidden by the thick foliage where its tail no doubt was coiled around a
branch. That part of the body that was seen was of a uniform blood-red
colour, though the belly or under side was much the lightest.

"_Voila_!" muttered Francois, "what a red snake! I never saw such
before."

"Nor I either," added Basil.

"Nor I," said Lucien, "but I have heard of it. I easily recognise it
from the description. It is the `red snake' of the Rocky Mountains
(_Coluber testacea_)."

"Oh," said Basil, "I have heard trappers speak of it."

"Yes," added Lucien. "It is a rare species, and only found in the Far
West. See! the scorpion has whipped. The chameleon is running off,
and, as I live, without its tail!"

The skink at this moment perceived the long, red body of the serpent
dangling above him; and knowing from experience a terrible enemy, ran
off, endeavouring to hide himself in the grass. Instead of making for a
tree--where he might have escaped by his superior nimbleness--his
confusion and terror led him out into the open ground. The snake
dropped from the mulberry and glided after, with his head raised high in
the air, and his jaws wide open. In a second or two he overtook the
lizard; and striking forward and downward, killed it upon the spot.

Lucien was in raptures with the interesting lesson he was receiving; and
again restrained Francois from rushing forward. They all, however,
crept a little nearer--so as the better to observe th