e settlements follows on the track
of his masters, be it right or be it wrong. Well, friend; you who can
do so much, are you equal to looking into the thicket? or must I go in
myself?"

The Doctor again assumed his air of resolution, and, without further
parlance, proceeded to do as desired. The dogs were so far restrained,
by the remonstrances of the old man, as to confine their noise to low
but often-repeated whinings. When they saw the naturalist advance, the
pup, however, broke through all restraint, and made a swift circuit
around his person, scenting the earth as he proceeded, and then,
returning to his companion, he howled aloud.

"The squatter and his brood have left a strong scent on the earth,"
said the old man, watching as he spoke for some signal from his learned
pioneer to follow; "I hope yonder school-bred man knows enough to
remember the errand on which I have sent him."

Doctor Battius had already disappeared in the bushes and the trapper was
beginning to betray additional evidences of impatience, when the person
of the former was seen retiring from the thicket backwards, with his
face fastened on the place he had just left, as if his look was bound in
the thraldom of some charm.

"Here is something skeery, by the wildness of the creatur's
countenance!" exclaimed the old man relinquishing his hold of Hector,
and moving stoutly to the side of the totally unconscious naturalist.
"How is it, friend; have you found a new leaf in your book of wisdom?"

"It is a basilisk!" muttered the Doctor, whose altered visage betrayed
the utter confusion which beset his faculties. "An animal of the order,
serpens. I had thought its attributes were fabulous, but mighty nature
is equal to all that man can imagine!"

"What is't? what is't? The snakes of the prairies are harmless, unless
it be now and then an angered rattler and he always gives you notice
with his tail, afore he works his mischief with his fangs. Lord, Lord,
what a humbling thing is fear! Here is one who in common delivers words
too big for a humble mouth to hold, so much beside himself, that his
voice is as shrill as the whistle of the whip-poor-will! Courage!--what
is it, man?--what is it?"

"A prodigy! a lusus naturae! a monster, that nature has delighted to
form, in order to exhibit her power! Never before have I witnessed such
an utter confusion in her laws, or a specimen that so completely bids
defiance to the distinctions of class and genera. L