Well, friend; you who can do so much, are you equal to looking into the thicket?
or must I go in myself ?" The Doctor again assumed his air of resolution, and, without further parlance, proceeded to do as desired.

The dogs were so far restrained, by the remonstrances of the old man, as to confine their noise to low but often-repeated whinings.

When they saw the naturalist advance, the pup, however, broke through all restraint, and made a swift circuit around his person, scenting the earth as he proceeded, and then, returning to his companion, he howled aloud.
"The squatter and his brood have left a strong scent on the earth," said the old man, watching as he spoke for some signal from his learned pioneer to follow; "I hope yonder school-bred man knows enough to remember the errand on which I have sent him." Doctor Battius had already disappeared in the bushes and the trapper was beginning to betray additional evidences of impatience, when the person of the former was seen retiring from the thicket backwards, with his face fastened on the place he had just left, as if his look was bound in the thraldom of some charm.
"Here is something skeery, by the wildness of the creatur's countenance!" exclaimed the old man relinquishing his hold of Hector, and moving stoutly to the side of the totally unconscious naturalist.
"How is it, friend; have you found a new leaf in your book of wisdom ?" "It is a basilisk!" muttered the Doctor, whose altered visage betrayed the utter confusion which beset his faculties.

"An animal of the order, serpens.

I had thought its attributes were fabulous, but mighty nature is equal to all that man can imagine!" "What is't?
what is't?
The snakes of the prairies are harmless, unless it be now and then an angered rattler and he always gives you notice with his tail, afore he works his mischief with his fangs.