r-like depression in the ground. In its
center, where the ground was soft, and muddy, was a writhing, twisting,
tangled mass of snakes of dozens of kinds, though the dirty,
sickening-looking, stump-tailed moccasin predominated. There must have
been thousands of serpents in the mass which covered a space twenty by
thirty feet, from which came the sibilant hiss of puff adders, and a
strong, nauseating odor.

"It's an awful sight," shuddered Walter after one glance, "and just
think how close you were to running into that mass. You would never
have got out alive."

"I would never know what struck me," Charley agreed. "I expect there's
a full quart of the deadliest of poisons distributed among those
beauties."

"Ugh," said Walter, "the sight of them makes me sick. Come away,
Charley."

"They have done us considerable damage anyway," Charley said, as they
pressed on giving the snake-hole a wide berth. "I cannot see anything
of the deer, can you?"

"No, I expect he got safe into the forest while we were delayed. We
might as well follow up his tracks for a ways although I guess it's but
little use."

The fugitive had left a thread of scarlet blood behind him so the boys
had no trouble in following the trail.

At the very edge of the forest, the boys stopped with a cry of delight.
A motionless heap of yellowish brown lay half in half out of the fringe
of trees, the shelter of which the poor creature had striven so
gallantly to gain.

The boys wasted no time in rejoicing but at once fell to work with
their hunting-knives to remove the skin. This done, they cut off the
valuable parts of the carcass and bound them up in the hide for
transportation back to camp. When the task was completed the noon hour
had been reached and the boys kindled a fire and broiled some of the
venison.

"That was a lucky kill for us," observed Charley as he attacked another
juicy steak. "It will give us fresh meat for several days. What we
cannot use before it spoils, we can cut thin and dry. The hide
properly prepared will furnish us with a couple of stout fishing lines
and a shirt for one of us."

After a brief rest the boys resumed their exploration. They had no
present need for more game and were loath to waste any more ammunition.
The wild folks of the forest seemed to be aware of the fact and showed
themselves fearlessly.

"We won't starve for lack of game," declared Walter, "in the last half
mile, I have seen coons, po