Manchurian Books

This was
the first time I had seen these animals in a state of perfect
freedom, and I secretly felt very much delighted that the gentlemen
with me did not succeed in shooting any of the mischievous little
creatures: they brought down, however, a few splendid lories (a
sort of small parrot of the most beautiful plumage) and some
squirrels. But our attention was soon attracted by a much more
serious object. We remarked in the branches of one of the trees a
dark body, which, on nearer inspection, we found to be that of a
large serpent, lying coiled up, and waiting, probably, to dart upon
its prey. We ventured pretty near, but it remained quite motionless
without turning its eyes from us, and little thinking how near its
death was. One of the gentlemen fired, and hit it in the side. As
quick as lightning, and with the greatest fury, it darted from the
tree, but remained fast, with its tail entangled in a bough. It
kept making springs at us, with its forked tongue exposed to view,
but all in vain, as we kept at a respectable distance.


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