Again I struck at the reptile's body and overpowered it.

Next came a third, and a fourth, and fifth, and then I realised that the whole of the dead stump was simply one living mass of coiled snakes, which were probably hibernating.

One after another they came at me; of course, had they all come at once, no power on earth could have saved me.

I wondered how long this weird contest would be kept up; and again and again between the attacks I tried to escape, but had scarcely taken an upward step when another huge reptile was upon me.
I was aware that Bruno was running backwards and forwards at the edge of the pit all this time, barking frantically in a most excited state.

He knew perfectly well what snakes were, having frequently been bitten.