eye. She strives to scream, but the voice dies away, a feeble gurgling in her throat. Her tongue is paralyzed; her lips are sealed -once more she strives for flight, but her limbs refuse their office. She has nothing left of life but its fearful consciousness. It is in her despair that, a last effort, she succeeds to scream, a single wild cry, forced upon her by the accumulated agony; she sinks down upon the grass grass before her before her enemy

- now

her eyes, however, still open, and still looking upon those which he directs forever upon them. She sees him approach advancing, now receding - now swelling in every part with something of anger, while his neck is arched beautifully, like that of a wild horse under the curb; until, at length, tired as it were of play, like the cat with its victim, she sees the neck growing larger and becoming completely bronzed as about to strike the huge jaws unclosing almost directly above her, the long tubulated1 fang, charged with venom, protruding from the cavernous mouth- and she sees no more! Insensibility came to her aid, and 1 Tubulated, having a tube within.

1

she lay almost lifeless under the

of the monster.

very folds

In that moment the copse parted- and an arrow, piercing the monster through and through the neck, bore his head forward to the ground alongside of the maiden, while his spiral extremities, now unfolding in his own agony, were actually, in part, writhing upon her person. The arrow came from the fugitive Occonestoga, who had fortunately reached the spot, in season, on his way to the Block House. He rushed from the copse as the snake fell, and, with a stick, fearlessly approached him where he lay tossing in agony upon the grass. him advance, the courageous reptile made an effort to regain his coil, shaking the fearful rattle violently at every evolution1 which he took for the purpose; but the arrow completely passing through his neck, opposed an unyielding obstacle to the endeavor; and finding it hopeless, and seeing the new enemy about to assault him, with something of the spirit of the white man under like circumstances, he turned desper1 Evolution, turning.

Seeing

ately round, and striking his charged fangs, so that they were riveted in the wound they made, into a susceptible part of his own body, he threw himself over with a single convulsion, and, a moment after, lay dead beside the utterly unconscious maiden.

From The Yemassee, WILLIAM GILMORE SIMMS.

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY

The belief is an old one that snakes can fascinate human beings by the power of their eyes. This story is based upon that belief.

Did the girl feel the influence of the snake before she saw him? How did it affect her? How did she first become aware of the snake? What was the effect then? Could she do anything to save herself? What part did the bird play?

Does the interest in this story grow toward the end?

suggests the "Escape Which story interests

This story of adventure from a Panther," page 24. you the more, this one or the panther story? Why? Which is the more thrilling? Is one more natural than the other? Which comes to the point the sooner? Which grows in interest the more?

William Gilmore Simms, 1806-1870, was the great early novelist of the South. He was the chronicler of pioneer life of that region, as Cooper was of that in the Northern States.

THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS

King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,

And one day, as his lions fought, sat looking on the court.

The nobles filled the benches, with the ladies in their pride,

And 'mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he sighed ;

And truly 'twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,

Valor and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;

They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws;

With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another,

Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;

The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;

Said Francis then, "Faith, gentlemen, we're better here than there."