Page 44 - A Little Bush Maid

"What doesn’t Billy know?" Norah laughed. "Come along."

They cantered slowly over the grass, remembering that Jim was scarcely fit
yet for violent exercise, though he stoutly averred that his accident had left

no traces whatever. The sun was getting high and it was hot, away from the
cool shade near the creek. Twice a hare bounded off in the grass, and once
Harry jumped off hurriedly and killed a big brown snake that was lazily

sunning itself upon a broad log.

"T do hate those beasts!" he said, remounting. Norah had held his pony for
him.

"So do T," she nodded; "only one gets used to them. Father found one on his
pillow the other night."

"By George!" Harry said. "Did he kill it?"

"Yes, rather. They are pretty thick here, especially a bit earlier than this.
One got into the kitchen through the window, by the big vine that grows

outside, and when Mrs. Brown pulled down the blind it came, too--it was
on the roller. That was last Christmas, and Mrs. Brown says she’s shaking
still!"

"Snakes are rummy things," Harry observed. "Ever hear that you can charm

them with music?"

"T’ve heard it," Norah said quaintly. Her tone implied that it was a piece of

evidence she did not accept on hearsay.

"Well, T believe it’s true. Last summer a whole lot of us were out on the
verandah, and there was plenty of laughing and talking going on--a snake
wouldn’t crawl into a rowdy group like that for the fun of it, now, would

he? Tt was Christmas day, and my little brother Phil--he’s six--had found a
piccolo in his stocking, and he was sitting on the end of the verandah

playing away at this thing. We thought it was a bit of a row, but Phil was
quite happy. Presently my sister Vera looked at him, and screamed out,