"The rattlesnake lies coiled with its head flat, and the tip of its tail elevated; when alarmed or irritated it gives a quivering movement to the tail which causes the joints of the rattle to shake against each other with a peculiar sound not easily described; all animals, even horses newly brought from Europe, tremble at this noise, and try to escape." "What is the best thing to be done for the bite of a serpent?" inquired Fritz. "Remedies are very various, very uncertain, and differ with the species inflicting the bite. "Suction, ammonia, oil, the use of the knife, application of fresh mold, lunar caustic, leaves of certain plants, all these and more are mentioned. There is a creeping plant, called _Aristolochia indica_, the leaves of which have in repeated instances done wonders for fearful bites. It is found in many parts of the world, but most plentifully in the hotter regions. "A mode of cure adopted by the natives of India, Ceylon, and parts of Africa, is by the application of a remarkable object called snake-stone. These are described as flattish, something like half an almond with squared ends, rather light, bearing a very high polish, and of an intense jetty black. "On being bitten by a cobra, the sufferer applies one of these 'stones' to each puncture, where they adhere strongly for a time, five or six minutes being about the average. They seem to absorb the blood as it flows from the wound, and at last fall off, when the danger is considered to be over. "But now we must leave this fertile subject of discussion, and I can only say I sincerely trust we may never have cause to resume it from the appearance of another serpent here of any sort, size, or description. "Come, Ernest, can you not give us an epitaph for our unfortunate friend the donkey? "We must afford him more honorable sepulture than he enjoys at present, when we proceed, as we speedily must, to disembowel his murderer." Ernest took the matter quite seriously, and planting his elbows on his knees, he bent his thoughtful brow in his hands, and remained wrapt in poetic meditation for about two minutes. "I have it!" cried he; "but perhaps you will all laugh at me?" "No, no, don't be shy, old fellow; spit it out!" and thus encouraged by his brother, Ernest, with the blush of a modest author, began: "Beneath this stone poor Grizzle's bones are laid, A faithful ass he was, and loved by all. At length, his master's voice he disobeyed, And thereby came his melancholy fall. A monstrous serpent, springing from the grass, Seized, crushed, and swallowed him before our eyes. But we, though yet we mourn our honest ass, Are grateful; for he thereby saved the lives Of all the human beings on this shore-- A father, mother, and their children four."