I Had Seen My Wonderful Creature, My Black Serpent Unlike Any Serpent
In The Land, And The Excitement Following The First Thrill Of Terror
Was Still On Me, But I Was Conscious Of An Element Of Delight In It,
And I Would Not Now Resolve Not To Visit The Spot Again.
Still, I was
in fear, and kept away three or four days.
Thinking about the snake I
formed the conclusion that the hole he had taken refuge in was his
den, where he lived, that he was often out roaming about in search of
prey, and could hear footsteps at a considerable distance, and that
when I walked about at that spot my footsteps disturbed him and caused
him to go straight to his hole to hide himself from a possible danger.
It struck me that if I went to the middle of the ground and stationed
myself near the hole, I would be sure to see him. It would indeed be
difficult to see him any other way, since one could never know in
which direction he had gone out to seek for food. But no, it was too
dangerous: the serpent might come upon me unawares and would probably
resent always finding a boy hanging about his den. Still, I could not
endure to think I had seen the last of him, and day after day I
continued to haunt the spot, and going a few yards into the little
weedy wilderness would stand and peer, and at the slightest rustling
sound of an insect or falling leaf would experience a thrill of
fearful joy, and still the black majestical creature failed to appear.
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