The next morning dawned bright and beautiful. A delightful day was promised for the picnic, and at an early hour the Wenton Memorial Sunday-school and its friends were off on their five miles' ride to White Rock Lake. This was a beautiful sheet of water, lying at the foot of the highest hill in that part of the State. The lake afforded fine boating and fishing, while from the summit of the hill a most charming view of the country for forty miles around could be obtained. These two features had made the locality one of great resort by the people for miles around. A drive of about an hour brought the party to the favored spot, and soon the large grove by the lake rang with the merry voices of the happy children at their play. Some played at hide and seek, some used the swings, some ran off to the boats, some played on the sandy beach, or tossed stones into the shining ripples. After two or three hours of amusement, the children were called together for dinner; and when this had been eaten there was to be Ray's address, and the singing of familiar songs. Before the children had well gotten into their places, however, a piercing scream was heard a short distance away. A glance showed Daisy Lawton part way up the hillside, where she had gone with several other young ladies in search of wild flowers, and from her lips there came for the second time that piercing scream. A number ran at once toward her, and when near enough they beheld the cause of her alarm. She had stooped to pluck a bunch of flowers just in front of her, when a large red or copper-back snake had crawled out from a thicket near by; and now, with its bright eyes fastened upon her with a power she could not resist, was slowly creeping toward her for its fatal strike. Those who had run thither from the neighborhood of the table would hardly have been in time to save the terrified girl, however. But only a short distance away, and coming down from the hilltop, was Mr. Branford. He heard the girl's cry, and saw her danger, and sprang down the hill with tremendous bounds. The hand Daisy had extended to pluck the flowers was still held, as though paralyzed, in that position, and as Mr. Branford reached her side the snake was already coiled for its spring. He had no weapon with him, and he did the only thing he could do in the brief instant remaining to him to save the girl. He quickly thrust his own arm before hers and received the stroke that otherwise would have fallen upon her fair hand. Then shaking off the snake, he ground it to pieces beneath his heavy boots. The greatest confusion now followed. Some bore the fainting but uninjured girl to the nearest house; others took care of the bitten man. Horses were harnessed, Mr. Branford was hurried into a wagon, and driven off to the nearest doctor. The rest, with no heart to continue the festivities, made ready for a return home.