ly employed running up and down to bring our goods and
chattels, to the new abode, I, and the two little girls arranged them as
they were brought up. They were merrily singing on one side of the
brook, clearing a place for the tent to be placed, while I, on the
other, was arranging seats for a dining place. Suddenly the song ceased
abruptly. Looking up to see the cause, as well as that of a sudden
crashing noise, I saw the little girls gazing in speechless amazement at
the great chestnut tree, and again, without apparent cause, I beheld the
huge branches shake and quiver like an aspen tree in the storm. I sprang
across the stream, and stood before the little girls. From between the
branches there appeared and disappeared a horrible head, with glittering
eyes and forked tongue, and, as I gazed still more the whole tree seemed
to me to be enveloped in the folds of an enormous serpent.

The little girls now began to utter shriek upon shriek, which brought
Serena with the speed of a lapwing to our side. "Take the children
away," I whispered, "fly, fly, quickly." "Run, little ones, run," she
said, feeling there was danger, but hardly realizing the full horrors of
it. They obeyed her, and, as their little forms appeared from behind us,
fleeing for their lives, the monster looked out still further from the
groaning tree, his diamond eyes fixed upon their receding frames.

Fold after fold seemed rapidly unwinding from the branches. In the agony
of the moment Serena flung a hatchet she had in her hand at the head she
now for the first time saw. A frightful hiss, and a loathsome and deadly
odour, told us it had taken effect. Again it coiled itself round the
tree, which rocked and groaned with its furious movements. Faint with
fear and the horrible smell, I knew not my own voice, as I said to
Serena, "Fly, child, fly, and send help; and you also." She said, "Nay,
one must stay, it must have one victim to save the others." "No, no, let
us both go, I will not go without you, Serena, I command you go, it
comes nearer and nearer." "No, no, I will die with you." She threw her
arms round me, burying her face in my neck, to avoid seeing the dreadful
jaws opening so near us. I flung her off, and thought would it not be
better for us to be dashed to pieces over the rocks than to be grasped
in those deadly coils. "We will both fly," I said; we turned and fled. I
looked behind; he was not more than thirty yards from us. I tried to
shout and