ce and other vermin. The boy was obstinate. He had found the snake,
and he insisted upon his right to kill it, and they were having rather a
lively time when I appeared. I persuaded them to make the snake over to
me. Apparently it was already dead. Thinking it might revive, I put it
on some grass in the bow of the boat. It lay there motionless for a long
time, and I picked up my oars and started for home. I had got half way
across the river, when I turned around and saw that the snake was gone.
It had just dropped into the water, and was swimming toward the bank we
had left. I turned and followed it.

"It swam slowly and with evident pain, lifting Its head every few
seconds high above the water, to see which way it was going. On reaching
the bank it coiled itself up, throwing up blood and water. I took it up
carefully, carried it home, and nursed it. It soon got better, and has
been a pet of mine ever since."

After tea was over, and Mrs. Wood and Miss Laura had helped Adele finish
the work, they all gathered in the parlor. The day had been quite warm,
but now a cool wind had sprung up, and Mr. Wood said that it was blowing
up rain.

Mrs. Wood said that she thought a fire would be pleasant; so they
lighted the sticks of wood in the open grate, and all sat round the
blazing fire.

Mr. Maxwell tried to get me to make friends with the little snake that
he held in his hands toward the blaze, and now that I knew that it was
harmless I was not afraid of it; but it did not like me, and put out its
funny little tongue whenever I looked at it.

By-and-by the rain began to strike against the windows, and Mr. Maxwell
said, "This is just the night for a story. Tell us something out of your
experience, won't you, Mr. Wood?"

"What shall I tell you?" he said, good-humoredly. He was sitting between
his wife and Mr. Harry, and had his hand on Mr. Harry's knee.

"Something about animals," said Mr. Maxwell. "We seem to be on that
subject to-day."

"Well," said Mr. Wood, "I'll talk about something that has been running
in my head for many a day. There is a good deal of talk nowadays about
kindness to domestic animals; but I do not hear much about kindness to
wild ones. The same Creator formed them both. I do not see why you
should not protect one as well as the other. I have no more right to
torture a bear than a cow. Our wild animals around here are getting
pretty well killed off, but there are lots in other places. I used to be