less than twenty black snakes, none of them less than thirteen feet
long, and from ten to fifteen inches in circumference. They appeared to
be as playful as puppies, and rolled over and over each other in their
gambols; but at the least movement on our part their sport ceased, and
they seemed to form themselves in hostile array as though to repel an
attack. Then their mouths opened and their huge fangs were exposed,
glistening in the sun, as though anxious to try their strength upon our
bodies.

It was with some difficulty that we could get our horses to face the
monsters, and even with all our exertions the animals would suddenly
start, as though anxious to quit so loathsome a sight.

"Do ants and snakes live peaceably together in Australia?" I asked of
the inspector.

"By no means. They are continually at war, but the insects struggle with
desperate valor to maintain their homestead against their assailants;
but in the end they have to retire and build another pyramid, where they
live until a fresh colony of snakes appear and drive them forth
wanderers once more. The fight, however, lasts nearly a week before the
insects acknowledge defeat, and if, during that time, the snakes wound
each other in trying to free their bodies of the ants, it is a great
triumph for the latter, for they fasten upon the wound, and all the
twisting and squirming of the reptiles cannot dislodge them. For days
they fatten upon their victim, until at length the slight wound becomes
a sore of great magnitude, and never heals. Mortification at length
ensues, and the death of the snake is then certain. You can see that if
the insects are weak and insignificant, nature teaches them a method of
avenging their wrongs, and they are not slow to adopt it."

As we found that it was impossible to get our horses to approach the
nest of reptiles, we got the inspector to hold them while Fred and
myself advanced, revolvers in hand, to get a nearer view of the
squirming monsters. They instantly arrayed themselves in a compact mass,
and with flashing eyes and erect heads watched our motions. Every few
seconds they would utter a hiss, that sounded like an expression of
displeasure in a theatre during some bad piece of acting. We advanced to
within ten rods of them, and then halted and surveyed them at leisure.

"I should like to try the effects of a shot," Fred said, glancing at the
snakes and then at his revolver.

"Fire away," I replied, as anxious for