“Did you see it?”

“Yes.”

“How big is it?”

“Long as a fence rail.”

“I told you it was. Did you ever see as big a one before?”

“No.”

“Did it turn on you?”

“I thought it was going to, but it probably thought better of it, for it made for the deep water and I lost sight of it.”

“What kind of a snake was it?”

“Just a plain water-snake, that’s all.”