As yet they had seen no trace of it, so heavy was the growth of trees every-where, except at the abutment, which was built of stone, covered with earth and a thick sod.

From here an old road led away from the river through the woods, and up it Mr.and Mrs.Elmer and Captain Johnson now walked, Mark and Ruth having run on ahead.

The elders had gone but a few steps when they heard a loud cry from Ruth, and hurried forward fearing that the children were in trouble.

They met Ruth running back towards them, screaming, "A snake! a snake! a horrid big snake!" "I've got him!" shouted Mark from behind some bushes, and sure enough there lay a black snake almost as long as Mark was tall, which he had just succeeded in killing with a stick.
Mrs.Elmer shuddered at the sight of the snake, though her husband assured her that it had been perfectly harmless even when alive.
Not far from where the snake had been killed they found a spring of water bubbling up, as clear as crystal, from a bed of white sand, but giving forth such a disagreeable odor that the children declared it was nasty.

Mr.Elmer, however, regarded it with great satisfaction, and told them it was a sulphur spring, stronger than any he had ever seen, and that they would find it very valuable.