sort of place to find a large one, I should say,"
continued Mr Rogers. "Hot, dry, stony places for basking, and dense,
hot, steamy nooks down by the little river and lagoons where it would be
likely to lie in wait for its prey."

But though they looked well about, they saw nothing, and the heat having
now become intense, they found a clump of trees close by a trickling
streamlet that ran along from the rocks to the river, and sat down to
rest and eat their lunch.

They felt too drowsy and tired with their morning's walking to care to
do much in the afternoon, and they were quietly looking over their
captures after shifting their places twice to get out of the sun as the
shadow swept on, when Dick suddenly caught his father's arm, and pointed
towards the rocks.

"What's that shining over there?" he said quickly.

Chicory had been asleep the moment before, but Dick's movement and
question roused him on the instant, and he glanced in the direction
indicated.

"Big snake," he said decisively. "Chicory go and kill um."

The boy ran towards the rocks, and, picking up their guns, the rest
followed--to see that it was a large serpent from whose scales the sun
had gleamed. They could not even guess at its length it was so knotted
up in folds; but its body was nearly as big round as that of Chicory,
who seemed in nowise afraid of the great reptile, but picked up a mass
of rock larger than his head, balanced it on one hand, and advanced
towards the sleeping serpent, which had chosen one of the hottest
portions of the rock for its siesta.

"_Yap_! _yap_! _yap_!" shouted Chicory; and the creature moved slowly,
its whole body seeming to be in motion.

This was not enough for Chicory, who drew his kiri out of his waistband,
and threw it heavily at the reptile.

This seemed to rouse it into action, and after a more rapid gliding of
one coil over the other, the creature's evil-looking head rose up,
hissing menacingly at its disturber, who raised the piece of rock with
both hands above his head, and dashed it down upon the serpent's crest,
crushing it to the ground, after which the boy nimbly leaped away, to
avoid the writhing of its body and the fierce whipping of the creature's
tail.

"Well done, Chicory, my brave boy," cried Mr Rogers, patting the Zulu
lad upon the shoulder.

"Yes, Chicory very brave boy," said the lad, smiling complacently, and
quite innocent of his words sounding conceited. "Chicory kill all big