t with
nothing but dangers since our landing, and it seems that on each
occasion our lives have been spared as by a miracle."

"I can feel only too grateful that they are spared, without questioning
the means," I replied. "Whether a gracious Providence, or our
shrewdness, has prevented us from being food for worms, is a subject we
will not discuss."

"But I feel tired of this kind of life," Fred said, as he seated himself
upon his bed and looked around the floor, covered with blood, and the
bodies of the huge snake and the dead man. "A few weeks ago there was
nothing that I liked so well as an adventure, but now I am surfeited,
and would fain enjoy a respite. A few weeks of inactivity would not come
amiss, for ever since we have been on the island we have seen nothing,
heard of nothing, but blood. I am sick of it."

"Well?" I inquired, anxiously.

"I will adhere to the vow that I took before leaving California. We
swore then never to desert each other, either in sickness or in health.
Until you are content to leave Australia, I remain. That is settled
upon."

We shook hands, and bound the bargain, and as we did so, the light that
had wavered and flickered, and revealed the desperate fight, between the
robber and the snake, suddenly died out, and left us in darkness.

And then we heard gentle steps upon the floor, and a snuffing, as though
some animal was pawing over the bodies, and while we were listening to
discover who our new visitor was, I felt something cold touch my hand,
and I started in alarm; but my fears quickly vanished, for I found that
Rover had recovered from his fright, and had come back in search of his
master. The poor dog! I could not blame him for deserting us,
considering the character of our late visitor.

The brute curled down beside us, and sat and listened to our
conversation through the night, but during that period his ears were
raised as though waiting a repetition of the sound that had alarmed him
hours before.

"I saw you move your hand towards your revolver," I said, addressing
Fred; "why did you not use it before the snake attacked the poor
fellow?"

"Because, while looking at the monster, a feeling came over me that I
cannot at this moment account for. I had regarded the snake with the
utmost dread and abhorrence, until all at once I thought that I did not
appear to look upon him with the same disgust, and the longer that I
gazed, the more fascinated I became, and I could not