foot long and bigger round than a man--would be an
awkward customer to tackle. Big enough for anything."

"Quite, Naylor."

"But how big was this one, do you think?" said Rob, who was getting over
the perturbation caused by his adventure.

"Well, my lad, seeing what a bit of a squint I had of it, I should say
it were thirteen or fourteen foot--p'raps fifteen."

"I thought it was nearer fifty," said Rob.

"Yes, you would then, my lad. But, never mind, it didn't seize you. I
dessay you scared it as much as it did you."

"You will not be able to eat any supper, Rob, I suppose?" said Brazier
rather maliciously.

Rob looked doubtful, but he smiled; and they went to the clearest place
they could find, but not without sundry misgivings, for another tree
sheltered them from the fire, which now sent forth a tremendous heat,
and a cloud of golden sparks rose eddying and circling up to a dense
cloud of smoke which glowed as if red-hot where it reflected the flames.
This huge trunk, like the one through which Rob had slipped, was coated
with parasitical growth, and though apparently solid, might, for all
they knew, be hollow, and the nesting-place of half a dozen serpents
larger than the one they had seen.

"Hadn't we better shift our quarters?" said Brazier.

"Yes, do," said Joe eagerly; "I hate snakes."

"Nobody's going to jump through that tree and 'sturb 'em, so I don't
s'pose they'll 'sturb us. You see, they're a curious kind o' beast,
which is all alive and twine for a day or two till they get a good meal,
and then they go to sleep for a month before they're hungry again. It's
wonderful how stupid and sleepy they are when they're like this. It
takes some one to jump on 'em to rouse 'em up, like Mr Rob did."

"Well, we must chance it," said Brazier; and they seated themselves to
their _al fresco_ supper, over which Rob forgot his fright--his appetite
returning, and the novelty of the position making everything delightful,
in spite of the discomfort of their seat. For all around was so new,
and there was a creepy kind of pleasure in sitting there by that
crackling fire eating the delicious, hot, juicy birds, and all the while
listening to the weird chorus of the forest, now in full swing.

Rob paused in the picking of a tasty leg, deliciously cooked, and sat in
a very unpolished way listening to the curious cries, when, raising his
eyes, they encountered Brazier's, who was similarly occupied.

"We've come