At a turn in the path we reached a sort of clearing, and saw the sky and the sunshine once more.

But, even here, a disagreeable incident occurred.

A snake wound his undulating way across the open space, passing close by me, and I was fool enough to scream.

The Captain killed the creature with his riding-cane, taking a pleasure in doing it which I did not like to see.
We left the clearing and tried another path, and then another.

And still the horrid wood preyed on my spirits.