nd then we will
light a candle and examine him."

"Go ahead; your lungs are the strongest," I answered, in an audible
tone.

At the sound of my voice, the slow, slimy movement upon the floor
ceased, and the visitor appeared to be listening.

"Who goes there?" demanded Fred, with a voice slightly tremulous. It
appeared to me that I could hear a slight breathing near, but I was not
sure. The slow moving or creeping across the floor had ceased; we
listened for a repetition of it.

"Are you a friend or foe?" Fred asked.

There was no response for a moment, and then the slow, cautious movement
began again.

"Strike a light," whispered Fred, "and let us see what this means."

Among the effects which we had found in the store was a large lamp for
burning alcohol; this Fred had cleansed and trimmed the day before, and
filled with spirits of turpentine, for the purpose of using it in
cooking. I knew where it was placed; so I crept carefully along on my
hands and knees, and suddenly lighted it with a lucifer. As the huge
wick took fire, I hastily glanced over my shoulder, for fear that an
assassin should strike a blow before I could be on my guard.

A startling yell from Fred caused me to spring to my feet, and as I did
so, a long, dark object flashed before my eyes, and narrowly missed my
head. The next instant my yell of terror was added to Fred's, for in the
middle of the floor, with waving tail, and eyes that blazed like coals
of fire, was a monstrous snake of a jet black hue; the huge mouth of the
reptile was thrown open to its widest extent, and was armed with fangs
an inch in length!

For a short time after my cry of terror, I remained silent, not daring
to move, for fear that the reptile, who appeared to be debating which of
us to attack first, should make a spring, and encircle me in his
dreadful folds, and crush out my life before I could utter a prayer.

Even to this day I can remember how I trembled, and how weak my knee
joints appeared to grow; and even now, I fancy I can see the slimy,
gleaming monster examine first me, and then the flickering flame of the
lamp, as though only astonishment at the illumination kept him at a
distance.

I did not for a moment lose sight of that powerful, waving tail, or the
glowing eyes, although I thought I would give all the world to be miles
from the spot.

I had heard of the monstrous size that black snakes acquired in
Australia, but I had regarded the stories as tr