“I’ve heard it,” Norah said quaintly. Her tone implied that it was a piece of evidence she did not accept on hearsay.
“Well, I 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? It 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, ‘Why, there’s a snake!’
“So there was, and it was just beside Phil. It had crawled up between the verandah boards, and was lying quietly near the little chap, looking at him stealthily—he was blowing away, quite unconcerned. We didn’t know what to do for a moment, for the beastly thing was so near Phil that we didn’t like to hit it for fear we missed and it bit him. However, Phil solved the difficulty by getting up and walking off, still playing the piccolo. The snake never stirred when he did—and you may be sure it didn’t get much chance to stir after. Three sticks came down on it at the same time.”
“I say!” Norah breathed quickly. “What an escape for poor Phil!”
“Wasn’t it? He didn’t seem to care a bit when we showed him the snake and told him it had been so near him—he hadn’t known a thing about it. ‘Can’t be bovvered wiv snakes,’ was all he said.”
“When I was a little kiddie,” Norah said, “they found me playing with a snake one day.”
“Playing with it?” Harry echoed.
“Yes; I was only about two, and I don’t remember anything about it. Dad came on to the back verandah, and saw me sitting by a patch of dust, stroking something. He couldn’t make out what it was at first, and then he came a bit nearer, and saw that it was a big snake. It was lying in the dust sunning itself, and I was stroking it most kindly.”
“By George!” said Harry.
“Funny what things kiddies will do!” said Norah, with all the superiority of twelve long years. “It frightened Dad tremendously. He didn’t know what to do, ’cause he didn’t dare come near or call out. I s’pose the snake saw him, ’cause it began to move. It crawled right over my bare legs.”