"It had broad, alternate rings of red and black," replied Miss Peckham,
with the air of one quoting from an authority, "the distinguishing marks
of the coral snake, one of the seventeen poisonous reptiles out of the
one hundred and eleven species of snakes found in the United States."

"A coral snake!" gasped Miss Judy, in real alarm, while the other three,
taking fright from the tone of her voice, began to back down the path.

Other dwellers in the Alley came along to see what the commotion was
about and were warned back in an important tone by Miss Peckham. The
timid ones took to their heels and fled to the other end of camp, while
the more courageous hung about as near as they dared come and stared
fascinated at the miniature jungle of ferns and bushes that grew under
Ponemah to a height of two or three feet. Sahwah, whose insatiable
curiosity as usual got the better of her fears, climbed a tree quite
close to Ponemah and peered down through the branches, all agog with
desire to see the dread serpent show itself.

"Come down from there--quick!" called someone in a nervously shaking
voice. "Don't you know that snakes climb trees?"

"Nonsense," retorted Sahwah. "Whoever heard of a snake climbing a tree?"

An argument started below, several voices upholding each side, some
maintaining emphatically that snakes did climb trees; others holding out
quite as determinedly that they didn't.

"Anyway, _this_ one might," concluded the one who had started the
argument, in a triumphant tone.