were not enough, there were myriads of small
black ants that penetrated our clothing and bit us even more savagely
than the mosquitoes. Luckily we did not encounter the ants until we
were very nearly through the belt of bush, or we should have been
compelled to abandon our attempt.

"Ultimately, however, we effected the passage of the bush, and found
ourselves fairly in the valley, with long dry grass, waist-high, plenty
of trees, big and little, but not much bush or creeper. And then we
encountered potential trouble of a fresh kind, for although we were no
longer attacked by ants, we too frequently heard rustlings in the long
grass that we presently discovered to be caused by snakes, and we were
compelled to walk very warily, lest we should perchance unwittingly
tread upon one of the creatures, and be bitten, perhaps fatally, as a
punishment. I confess that--well, to put it plainly, I did not half
like it; but what were we to do? We were searching for a cave, or
shelter of some sort, that would serve us for a lodging and a place of
protection in the event of a recurrence of bad weather, and we were not
likely to find it by standing still. Also we were looking for food,
with a view to the future; but the question of supplies afforded us
little anxiety, for banana and plantain trees were abundant in that
valley, to say nothing of grapes and several other kinds of fruit.
Coming to a banana tree, the fruit of which was fully ripe, we made a
good meal, and then, feeling rather tired, we trampled down a smooth
place in the grass, under the shade of a big tree, stretched ourselves
thereon, and were soon fast asleep.

"Judging from the position of the sun in the heavens, it might be about
five o'clock in the afternoon when I was awakened by somebody shaking me
by the shoulder, and as I opened my eyes I heard a voice I at once
recognised as that belonging to Dirk here, who was saying, in a sort of
whisper:--

"`Hush! don't make a noise, but just lift your head, cautious, and
look.'

"`Look where?' I returned, also in a sort of whisper; `and what am I to
hush for?'

"`Look to your right, at Pete,'--which is the name by which we usually
addressed Fleming--`lying fast asleep there, and see what you'll see,'
replied Dirk.

"I turned my head very cautiously and looked; and there, within less
than a fathom of me, was Pete Fleming, lying flat on his back, fast
asleep, with a snake coiled up like a cable right in the mid