head and six inches of the neck being a little raised. I shrunk back
from the serpent, but no one else seemed to have any dread of it;
indeed, I afterwards learned, that this kind being good mousers, and
otherwise quite harmless, were, if any thing, encouraged about houses in
the country. I looked again; its open mouth was now within an inch of
the lizard, which by this time seemed utterly paralyzed and motionless;
the next instant its head was drawn into the snake's mouth, and
gradually the whole body disappeared, as the reptile gorged it, and
I could perceive from the lump which gradually moved down the snake's
neck, that it had been sucked into its stomach. Involuntary I raised
my hand, when the whole suddenly disappeared.

[One of Tom's _land-storms_ is still more graphic.]

A heavy cloud that had been overhanging the small valley the whole
morning, had by this time spread out and covered the entire face of
nature like a sable pall; the birds of the air flew low, and seemed to
be perfectly gorged with the superabundance of flies, which were thickly
betaking themselves for shelter under the evergreen leaves of the
bushes. All the winged creation, great and small, were fast betaking
themselves to the shelter of the leaves and branches of the trees. The
cattle were speeding to the hollows under the impending rocks; negroes,
men, women, and children, were hurrying with their hoes on their
shoulders past the windows to their huts. Several large bloodhounds had
ventured into the hall, and were crouching with a low whine at our feet.
The large carrion crows were the only living things which seemed to
brave the approaching _chu-basco_, and were soaring high up in the
heavens, appearing to touch the black, agitated fringe of the lowering
thunder clouds. All other kinds of winged creatures, parrots, and
pigeons, and cranes, had vanished by this time under the thickest trees,