"Boy-cousins are not always alike," said she, as if the idea was quite
new; "some are good, and some are naugh--"

The word was cut in two by a scream. A large and very handsome snake was
gliding gracefully across her path. The like of it for size and
brilliancy, she had never seen before.

"O, how boo-ful!" cried Katie, darting after it. Horace held her back.
Dotty trembled violently.

"Kill it," she screamed; "throw stones at it; take me away! take me
away!"

"Poh, Dotty; nothing but an innocent snake; he's more afraid of you than
you are of him."

"You told him take you away two times," exclaimed Katie, "and he didn't,
and he didn't."

"I never knew you had such awful things out West," said Dotty
shuddering. "And I don't think _now_ there's _any_ difference in
boy-cousins! They never take you away, nor do anything you ask 'em
to--so there!"

"Why, Dotty, he was hurrying as fast as he could to get out of our
sight; there was no need of taking you away."

"She needn't be 'fraid," observed Flyaway, soothingly; "if I had a
sidders, I could ha' cutted him in two."