View source for le nanmu kujo'u le since


The Man and the Snake, by Ambrose Bierce

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Lujvo:

ctecutci: nicte+cutci: x1:c1 is a slipper (shoe primarily for

wearing at night) for wearing on [[feet/hooves]] x2:c2, made

of material x3:c3

stedycra: stedu+crane: x1:s1=c1 is the forehead of x2:s2

dijyzbaske: dinju+zbasu+sakse: architecture

mumkubli: kubli be li zi'o bei li mu: x1:k1 is a pyramid

mifyjmi: mifra+jimpe: x1:j1 deciphers coded text x2:m1=?j2

(of plain text x3:m2=?j2), in code system x4:j3=m4

cicricfoi: cilce(ke)tricu+foldi: x1 is a jungle

rokyxra: rokci+pixra: x1:p1=r1 is a statue of x2:p2, made by artist

x3:p3, using materials (kind of rock, etc) x4:r2

mivnalsti:jmive+na'e+sisti: x1:j1=ns2 is immortal by standard x2:j2

cnosna: condi+sance: x1:s1=c1 is a deep/rumbling sound produced by x2:s2=?c2

from reference x3:c3 (probably a particular pitch/frequency)

jmemapku: jemna+mapku: x1:m1 is a crown of material x2:m2

jifselvi'a: jitfa+se+viska: x1:v2=j1 is an illusion/mirage/etc seen

by x2:v1

tecyselci'i: steci+se+cinri: x1:c2 is a hobbist/collector/etc of x2:c1=?s1

sezgunta: sevzi+gunta: x1:g1=g2=s1=s2 has a fit/self-attack/

allergic reaction/whatever of type x2:?g3

"viska mumkubli" for "line of sight"

"centre fa'u centre" for things like "inch by inch", etc.

This has probably been used before, but isn't in the list:

tolsmu: to'e+smuni.  nonsense, meaningless, etc. structure = smuni.

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le nanmu kujo'u le since

ni'oni'o pamo'o

lu jetnu tojiqa leni cequ xusra cu banzu le ca zaqi no prije je

cilre cu nafxuqa toi fa leduqu loqe since zoqu ri se kanla lo ckaji

be leka cequ kaqe ve xlura ro se jitro binxo lo poi ri toqe djica

kuqo nu lacpu .e lo jaqe nu betri mrobiqo fiqo catra be fi lo batci

le noqa li'u

ni'o vreta lo sfofa gi'e dasni lo pastu kujo'u lo ctecutci vau fa

la xarker. breiton. goi ko'a gi'e cisma ca lenu tcidu di'u le tolci'o

se finti be la morister. be'o no'u la'elu le se manci po'u loi saske

li'u .i lu le po'o srana se manci sei ko'a sezysku cu me le za'i

ro prije je cilre pe le detri be tu'a la morister. pujetai bebna

krici da poi ji'eku so'a to'e prije je to'e cilre pe le cabna cu

nafxu'a li'u

ni'o rolu'a lonu pensi kei porsi cu jalge to ko'a pensi prenu toi

.ije ko'a to'e sanji dizlygau le cukta gi'e na galfi le farna be

tu'a lei ko'a kanla .i co'a lenu le cukta cu pagre cliva le viska

mumkubli kei da poi zvati lo darno kojna be le kumfa cu jai rinka

lenu za'ure'u sanji le vanbi .i le re cmalu ke gusni mokca noi li

repimu cu se centre le jbini zi'e pe bu'u le ctino be le ckana cu

se viska ko'a .i cumki nu minra tu'a le gapci jetce noi gapru ko'a

ku'o lo jinme dinko .i ko'a no'e pensi gi'e di'a tcidu .ibaziku da

poi ko'a na lanli pensi ke'a cu bapli lenu ko'a rere'u dizlygau le

cukta gi'e sisku leka krefu viska .i le re cmalu ke gusni mokca cu

jai ranji .i ri simlu leka zenba leni gusni gi'e gusycai sekai leka

crino noi ko'a na pu zgana .i ko'a pensi ledu'u le mokca cu milxe

muvdu fa'a ko'a .iku'i le ctino cu ca'o dukse fi lenu jarco le krasi

le vreta .ije ko'a di'a tcidu .i suksa nu da pe le se cukta cu stidi

lo se pensi poi jai se jalge lenu se spaji gi'e falcru le cukta le

mlana be le sfofa noi vi ke'a ra cliva le xance gi'e farlu le loldi

fau lenu trixe galtu .i ko'a pimuva'e sanli gi'e caicta le cizra

noi cnita le ckana noi va'o ke'a le gusni mokca cu dirce zenba leka

vlipa .i ko'a ca rova'e jundi gi'e tsali viska .i jarco ni'a le

korbi be le ckana tu'a le sarlu pe le since noi barda .ibo ri le

gusni mokca cu se kanla .i le mabla stedu be sy. be'o noi pagre le

nenryrai be le'i sarlu gi'e surla le bartyrai cu selfa'a ko'a .i

le tarmi be le rotsu je kusru xedja be'o kujo'u le bebna stedycra

cu jai junri'a fi le se fargau be fi le palci kanla .i ri ba'o gusni

mocka .ibo ri catlu le kanla be ko'a sekai leka xebni

ni'oni'o remo'o

le'enu lo since cu nenri lo sipna kumfa be lo cabna ke tcadu zdani

noi zmadu cu to xamgu toi na dukse leka fadni kei lenu na jai se

sarcu tu'a lo ve ciksi .i la xarker. breiton. goi ko'a noi na speni

gi'e nanca li cimu gi'e tadni gi'e na'o cando gi'e milxe xadyplijvi

gi'e ricfu je se nelci gi'e kanro cu xrukla la san. fransiskos. lei

vrici ke cizra je darno gugde .i lei se nelci be ko'a be'o noi pu

milxe ckaji leka se ricfu cu zenba ki'u lenu ze'u claxu .ije mu'i

lenu ji'eku la kas,l. xotel. na banzu lenu le go'i cu mansa keikei

ko'a sarxe le te xendo be fi le ko'a pendo no'u la ga'i drurin. noi

sinma skepre .i le zdani be ri be'o noi barda je tolci'o gi'e zvati

le ca mipri korbi be le tcadu cu bartu ckaji leka rinju .ili'a zy.

na simsa fi le dikni se ckaji be le vanbi gi'e binxo co ckaji lei

se krasi be le'eza'i tolkansa .i mupli fa le dinjypau noi to'e vajni

fi leka dijyzbaske zi'e noi na mleca co cizra fi leka dinju ce'u

.ibo le go'i cu kumfrlaboratora joi mivdalmuzga joi muzga .i viku

le skepre goi ko'e cu zdilygau lei saske pagbu be lei ri rarna gi'e

tadni loi danlu jmive poi cinri zi'e poi cmima le'i se nelci noi

ja'a srana le'i to'e banli .i le'e banli danlu cu nitcu be fi lonu

cinri stidi be'o co ckaji le so'o ralju selkai noi srana loi pipybanfi

.e loi since vu'ope lu ralju cridrdrakone li'u .i le saske se cinmo

be ko'e cu ckaji leka respa .ije ko'e prami lei rarna malda'u gi'e

ciksi vo'a fi la'elu me la zoleis. pe la danlyske li'u .i lei tixnu

je speni po'e ko'e zi'e noi na simsa ko'e le ga'izo'o ka se cinri

lei se tarti je te zukte pe lei xladimna je pendo danlu cu jai to'e

se curmi sekai lo na'e nitcu ka kusru kei fai lenu nerkla le dinjypau

poi ko'e te cmene fi lu sincycanlu li'u gi'e se maldimna lenu kansa

lo klesi pe vo'a .iku'i mu'i lenu milxe randa kei ko'e curmi to

sepi'o le barda vamji lenu zmadu lei repsa leka melbi vanbi ce'u

kei .e le pe'a ka dirce le zmadu gusni

ni'o leka dijyzbaske .e le si'a ni nilce kei le sincycanlu cu mutce

se sampu fi'o se banzu le cumla tcini pe le xabju .i je'u so'e ri

na'eka'e snura lacri fi le se zifre noi se nitcu lenu mulno xaufri

tu'a le se ricfu kei ki'u le cizra zo'o za'i vo'a ckaji leka jmive

.iku'i fau lenu tolkansa ne'i lei drata kumfa kei leni le go'i cu

rinju cu milxe co banzu lenu fanta le ta'e xlali nu lei go'i cu

tulcti ri .iji'a to la breiton. pu pensykai ve notci toi na ritli

po'o fa le vrici nu so'o ru se zatfa'i vi lei pagbu be le dinju

be'o voi da'i ru burna lenu ciksi tu'a ke'a .i mu'inai tu'a le

sincycanlu .e le te cizra be ri to je'u ko'a na mutce jundi toi

ko'a mutce co nelci leli'i jmive vi le me la ga'i drurin. zdani

ni'oni'o cimo'o

so'u na'ebo lenu jenca spaji .e lenu desku ri'a lenu rigni cu ve

xrani la breiton. goi ko'a .i ko'a pamoi pensi lezu'o janbe notci

fo lei selfu .iku'i fau lenu le janbe minji cu jibni ragve kei ko'a

zukte no nu muvdu fa'a ri .imu'ibo ko'a djunybi'o ledu'u le se zukte

cu ka'e faurti'i ledu'u ko'a terpa kei noi ko'a na'eca'a cinmo .i

ko'a zo'u zmadu fa leka menli sanji le cizra rarna pe le tcini kei

leka terpa lei ckape .i rigni gi'eku'i zdile fi leka to'e sarxe

ni'o le respa goi fo'a cu since da poi la breiton. na sanji ke'a

.i leni fo'a clani cu te sruma po'o fi ko'a .ibo le xadni be fo'a

be'o poi ka'e viska ke'a cu rotsu tai le galbirka be ko'a .i xu

fo'a ckape fi ma .i xu vindu .i xu marxygau .i le'i se djuno be

ko'a bei le ckape jarco pe le rarna cu na se cmima le danfu .i ko'a

na mifyjmi

ni'o fo'a segu ckape gi ca'a rigni .i fo'a dukse .i na mapti .i na

cnano .i pe'a lo jemna poi na vrude le jgari be ri .i ji'eku le

cilce se nelci pe le cabna .e le gugde vu'o poi bevrygau nu'ige lei

bitmu pe le kumfa loi pixra nu'ugi le loldi ce'e loi nilce pe'e je

loi nilce loi vrici cu na mulno maptygau le stuzi le cilce jmive

pe lo'e cicricfoi .i ji'a .oisai le se vaxyvi'i pe fo'a cu se mixre

le vacri poi ko'a vasxu ke'a

ni'o la'edi'u milxe leka ce'u se pensi ko'a .ija'ebo muvdu .i ti

du le pruce be loi nu pensi kei bei loi nu jdice .itaibo ma'a prije

gi'a na prije .itaibo lo'e xaksu pezli pe va'o lo critu brife cu

jarco leka menli ke zmadu jikau mleca le drata .i farlu le tumla

.a le lalxu .i le se mipri pe lo'e nu lo remna cu muvda cu to'e

sivni .ibo da marxygau loi sluji .i xu vajni fa ledu'u xukau ma'a

te cmene ra lu zukte li'u

ni'o la breiton. sanli fi le jamfu gi'e bregau lenu smaji muvdu

to'o le since pa'o le vorme faunai lenu fanza .ijanai kakne .i lo'e

prenu cu tai cliva loi banli .iki'ubo ge leka banli cu dunli leka

vlipa gi leka vlipa cu dunli leka ckape .i ko'a djuno ledu'u kakne

lenu to'o cadzu fi'o fanta noda kei .e lenu na'e srera facki fi le

vorme .i romu'ei gi le cizda'u cu jersi gi le bi'unai se nelci noi

gacrygau loi pixra lei bitmu cu mapti sabji le kajna be lei bitmu

bei so'o xazdo ke catrykai xarci poi ko'a ka'e cpacu ke'a mu'i le

fasnu .i pu'oku le kanla be le since cu jelca dirce sekai le zmadu

ka ce'u kusru palci

ni'o la breiton. galtygau le pritu jamfu fi le loldi tezu'e lenu

to'o cadzu .i co'iku ko'a tsali cinmo leka rinju fi le se zukte

lu mi cu'u virnu sei ko'a smaji bacru .i xu noda te frica leka virnu

kei leka jgira .i xu mu'i leza'i noda zgana kei mi rivli'a li'u

.i ko'a sarjygau fu leza'i le pritu xance cu cpana lo stizu kei

.ije le jamfu cu na cpana da

lu .oi tolsmu sei ko'a cusku .i le'o mi na toldarsi ji'e lenu terpa

loi nu simlu fi mi fe leka terpa li'u

ni'o ko'a le jamfu cu zmadu galtygau ta'i lenu korcygau le tupcidni

kei gi'e catke muvdygau le loldi .i centre fa'u centre .i ko'a na

sanji le krasi be le fasnu .i lenu troci tu'a le zunle jamfu cu

jalge le dunli .ibo ri za'ure'u crane le priju .i le xance poi cpana

le stizu cu tsali jgari ri .i le birka cu sirji gi'e milxe leka

to'o kuspe .i lakne nu da'i lo zgana cu jinvi ledu'u ko'a rinju fi

lenu cirko lenu jgari .i ranji nu le mabla stedu le since cu pagre

le nenryrai be le'i sarlu .iku'ipe'a caku le kanla cu dikca gi'e

dirce lei ci'i gusni jesni

ni'o le nanmu cu kandi skari .i krefu nu fa'a stapa .i milxe mosycpu

le stizu noi ca lenu jgari sisti cu farlu le loldi gi'e savru cupra

.i le nanmu cu cmoni .i le since cu na muvdu gi'e na se sance .iku'i

le ri kanla cu solri pe'a te gusni gi'e mulno mipri le respa .i ra

cupra le banro ke skari djine noi ca lenu bardyrai cu canci tai

lo'e zbabu fomsle .i ra simlu leka jibni binxo le ko'a flira kei

gi'e bazi ragve sela'u lo na'e ka'e se djuno .i ko'a tirna le ranji

je darno damri .i to'e jimpe ka pluka kei tai le'e tonga be fi le

bifyjgita pe la .ai,olos. .i ko'a slabu djuno ledu'u ti du le selsa'a

pe le solri nu tolcanci keipe le rokyxra pe la memnon. .i simlu fi

ko'a leka sanli vi le srasu pevi la nil. gi'e tirna sepi'o lei galtu

te ganse le mivnalsti se sanga fi'o na'e se rinju le smaji na'acto

ni'o le zgike cu jai zilsti .i sa'e ri binxo lo na'eka'e se ganse

pe tai le'e darno cnosna pe le'e vilti'a poi cliva .i le tumla poi

gusycai loi solri kujoi loi carvi cu tcena to'o ko'a gi'e se bargu

le klani tanbargu noi greku do'e le barda kruvi lei so'oki'o tcadu

poi ka'e viska ke'a .i vi le midju darno le bi'u bardytce since noi

dasni lo jmemapku cu galtygau le stedu le vo'a pluja xadni gi'e

zgana ko'a le kanla po'e le ko'a morsi mamta .i suksa nu le makfa

tumla cu simlu leka sutra ke galtu zenba tai le'e jvinu murta pe

le'e dracydi'u gi'e canci sekai leka kunti .i da tsali darxi ko'a

fo le flira .e le cutne .i ko'a ba'o farlu le loldi .i ciblu flecu

fo le spofu nazbi .e le marxa ctebi .i ze'iku ko'a jenca je cfipu

gi'e vreta fau leza'i ge le kanla cu ganlo gi le flira cu lamji le

vorme .i baziku ko'a toljenbi'o gi'e binxo co djuno ledu'u lenu

farlu cu daspo leza'i jgari kei ri'a lenu catlu sisti .i ca jinvi

ledu'u ka'e cliva ta'i lenu na fargau le kanla .iku'i lenu pensi

le since noi jibni le ko'a stedu sela'u so'u mitre gi'e pu'o se

zgana to cumki nu ca zukte lenu gunta cfari gi'e srurygau le ko'a

galxe fa lei sarlu toi cu dukse leka rigni .ije ko'a galtygau le

stedu gi'e caicta le capti'i kanla gi'e za'ure'u se jgari

ni'o le since cu na muvdu gi'e simla leka cirko le vlipa be lenu

ko'a pensi .i le melbi jifselvi'a poi zi purci cu na jai krefu .i

ni'a le xutla je besna bo claxu stedycra fa le xekri kanla cu dirce

po'o tai le pamoi sekai le mutce ka palci .i le danlu cu simlu leka

ce'u birti ledu'u lenu jgina cu to'e se senpi kei gi'e jdice ledu'u

na zmadu gasnu lei te trina

ni'o co'a fasnu fa lo se terpa .i le nanmu noi salpo fi le loldi

zi'e noi ke'a ragve me'ipa mitre le bradi cu galtygau le cutne

sepi'o lei bircidni .ibo le stedu cu se farna le galtu .ibo le tuple

cu mulno kuspe .ibo le flira cu blabi vi le na'e ciblu .ibo le kanla

cu dukse fi le mulno kalri .i lei fomsle cu cpana le ctebi gi'e

farlu sekai leka panlo .i le ko'a xadni cu tsali desku fi'o te jibni

simsa leka since muvdu .i ko'a korcygau le xadmidju be ko'a gi'e

slilygau le tuple .i ro lenu mudvu cu jalge lenu ko'a zenba leka

jibni le since .i ko'a fa'a catke le xance mu'i lenu fanta kei gi'e

ku'i ranjygau lenu muvdu sepi'o lei bircidni

ni'oni'o vomo'o

la ga'i drurin. .e le ri speni cu zutse vi le cukte kumfa .i le

skepre goi ko'e cu ca zdile to rirci toi

lu mi puzi cpacu ta'i lenu canja fo lo drata tecyselci'i sei ko'e

cusku le melbi ke mupli since be la'o xy. Ophiophagus .xy. li'u

.i lu ta mo li'u preti fi le ninmu goi ko'i sekai leka tatpi no'e

cinri

.i lu .uasai mutce ka na'e djuno .i doi dirba ro nanmu poi cilre

ba'o lenu speni binxo kei ledu'u le speni be vo'a cu na se bangu

la xelban. cu jai krinu lenu speni sisti .i la'o xy. Ophiophagus

.xy. cu klesi lo'i since leka ce'u citka loi since li'u

.i lu .a'o ba citka ro le do since li'u se cusku ko'i ca'o lenu

mudvu lo gustci .i lu ta'i ma zu'i gunta lei drata since .i ru'a

xlura fo loi makfa li'u

.i lu satci mapti do doi dirba li'u se cusku le skepre sekai leka

jitfa fengu .i lu do djuno ledu'u fanza mi fa ro nu stidi le mabla

jitkrici pe le since vlipa be lenu xlura li'u

ni'o lenu casnu cu se dicra tu'a lo cladu se krixa poi dirce vi'u

le zdani tai le'e voksa be lo pacruxpre poi lausku ne'i lo mroke'a

.i le sance cu krefu je krefu gi'e mutce leka klina .i le remei cu

sutra sanli .i le nanmu cu se cfipu .ije le ninmu cu blabi gi'e

smaji vau mu'i lenu terpa .i puzi le fanmo be tu'a le sance le

skepre cu cliva le kumfa gi'e bajra le serti fo leka ro lenu ce'u

stapa cu se jalge tu'a re te serti .i vi le dijlu'a poi bartu le

kumfa pe la breiton. ko'e penmi le so'o selfu poi klama fi le galtu

dijysenta .i ri joi ko'e bikykla le vorme secau ronu cpedu fo lonu

tunta le vorme .i ri na lasna gi'e frili ke kalri binxo .i la

breiton. cu vreta le loldi fi'o zbepi le ri betfu .i le stedu .e

le birka cu milxe se mipri le korbi be le ckana .i lacpu le xadni

gi'e ga'u carnygau ri .i le flira cu se preja le ciblu .e lei fomsle

.i le kanla cu mulno kalri .ibo xlali jvinu

ni'o lu morsi ri'a lonu sezgunta li'u se cusku le skepre .i ko'e

korcygau le tupcidni gi'e cpanygau le vo'a xance le cutne be la

breiton. .i ca'oku ko'e cu funca zgana le cnita be le ckana .i lu

.ue.oi sei ko'e jmina cusku .i pau ti zvati ri'a ma li'u

ni'o ko'e tcena le cnita be le ckana gi'e ze'o lacpu le since gi'e

renro sy. noi ca'o sarlu ku'o le midju be le kumfa .i fau lenu rufsu

sance kei sy. sakli le spali loldi gi'e jai se sisti le bitmu .i

sy. cu se kelci since .i le kanla cu cutci batke remei

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The Man and the Snake

I

It is of veritabyll report, and attested of so many that there be

nowe of wyse and learned none to gaynsaye it, that ye serpente hys

eye hath a magnetick propertie that whosoe falleth into its svasion

is drawn forwards in despyte of his wille, and perisheth miserabyll

by ye creature hys byte.

Stretched at ease upon a sofa, in gown and slippers, Harker Brayton

smiled as he read the foregoing sentence in old Morryster's

"Marvells of Science."  "The only marvel in the matter," he said to

himself, "is that the wise and learned in Morryster's day should

have believed such nonsense as is rejected by most of even the

ignorant in ours."

A train of reflections followed--for Brayton was a man of thought--

and he unconsciously lowered his book without altering the

direction of his eyes.  As soon as the volume had gone below the

line of sight, something in an obscure corner of the room recalled

his attention to his surroundings.  What he saw, in the shadow

under his bed, were two small points of light, apparently about an

inch apart.  They might have been reflections of the gas jet above

him, in metal nail heads; he gave them but little thought and

resumed his reading.  A moment later something--some impulse which

it did not occur to him to analyze--impelled him to lower the book

again and seek for what he saw before.  The points of light were

still there.  They seemed to have become brighter than before,

shining with a greenish luster which he had not at first observed.

He thought, too, that they might have moved a trifle--were somewhat

nearer.  They were still too much in the shadow, however, to reveal

their nature and origin to an indolent attention, and he resumed

his reading.  Suddenly something in the text suggested a thought

which made him start and drop the book for the third time to the

side of the sofa, whence, escaping from his hand, it fell sprawling

to the floor, back upward.  Brayton, half-risen, was staring

intently into the obscurity beneath the bed, where the points of

light shone with, it seemed to him, an added fire.  His attention

was now fully aroused, his gaze eager and imperative.  It

disclosed, almost directly beneath the foot rail of the bed, the

coils of a large serpent--the points of light were its eyes!  Its

horrible head, thrust flatly forth from the innermost coil and

resting upon the outermost, was directed straight toward him, the

definition of the wide, brutal jaw and the idiotlike forehead

serving to show the direction of its malevolent gaze.  The eyes

were no longer merely luminous points; they looked into his own

with a meaning, a malign significance.

II

A snake in a bedroom of a modern city dwelling of the better sort

is, happily, not so common a phenomenon as to make explanation

altogether needless.  Harker Brayton, a bachelor of thirty-five, a

scholar, idler, and something of an athlete, rich, popular, and of

sound health, had returned to San Francisco from all manner of

remote and unfamiliar countries.  His tastes, always a trifle

luxurious, had taken on an added exuberance from long privation;

and the resources of even the Castle Hotel being inadequate for

their perfect gratification, he had gladly accepted the hospitality

of his friend, Dr. Druring, the distinguished scientist.  Dr.

Druring's house, a large, old-fashioned one in what was now an

obscure quarter of the city, had an outer and visible aspect of

reserve.  It plainly would not associate with the contiguous

elements of its altered environment, and appeared to have developed

some of the eccentricities which come of isolation.  One of these

was a "wing," conspicuously irrelevant in point of architecture,

and no less rebellious in the matter of purpose; for it was a

combination of laboratory, menagerie, and museum.  It was here that

the doctor indulged the scientific side of his nature in the study

of such forms of animal life as engaged his interest and comforted

his taste--which, it must be confessed, ran rather to the lower

oforms.  For one of the higher types nimbly and sweetly to recommend

itself unto his gentle senses, it had at least to retain certain

rudimentary characteristics allying it to such "dragons of the

prime" as toads and snakes.  His scientific sympathies were

distinctly reptilian; he loved nature's vulgarians and described

himself as the Zola of zoology.  His wife and daughters, not having

the advantage to share his enlightened curiosity regarding the

works and ways of our ill-starred fellow-creatures, were, with

needless austerity, excluded from what he called the Snakery, and

doomed to companionship with their own kind; though, to soften the

rigors of their lot, he had permitted them, out of his great

wealth, to outdo the reptiles in the gorgeousness of their

surroundings and to shine with a superior splendor.

Architecturally, and in point of "furnishing," the Snakery had a

severe simplicity befitting the humble circumstances of its

occupants, many of whom, indeed, could not safely have been

intrusted with the liberty which is necessary to the full enjoyment

of luxury, for they had the troublesome peculiarity of being alive.

In their own apartments, however, they were under as little

personal restraint as was compatible with their protection from the

baneful habit of swallowing one another; and, as Brayton had

thoughtfully been apprised, it was more than a tradition that some

of them had at divers times been found in parts of the premises

where it would have embarrassed them to explain their presence.

Despite the Snakery and its uncanny associations--to which, indeed,

he gave little attention--Brayton found life at the Druring mansion

very much to his mind.

III

Beyond a smart shock of surprise and a shudder of mere loathing,

Mr. Brayton was not greatly affected.  His first thought was to

ring the call bell and bring a servant; but, although the bell cord

dangled within easy reach, he made no movement toward it; it had

occurred to his mind that the act might subject him to the

suspicion of fear, which he certainly did not feel.  He was more

keenly conscious of the incongruous nature of the situation than

affected by its perils; it was revolting, but absurd.

The reptile was of a species with which Brayton was unfamiliar.

Its length he could only conjecture; the body at the largest

visible part seemed about as thick as his forearm.  In what way was

it dangerous, if in any way?  Was it venomous?  Was it a

constrictor?  His knowledge of nature's danger signals did not

enable him to say; he had never deciphered the code.

If not dangerous, the creature was at least offensive.  It was de

trop--"matter out of place"--an impertinence.  The gem was unworthy

of the setting.  Even the barbarous taste of our time and country,

which had loaded the walls of the room with pictures, the floor

with furniture, and the furniture with bric-a-brac, had not quite

fitted the place for this bit of the savage life of the jungle.

Besides--insupportable thought!--the exhalations of its breath

mingled with the atmosphere which he himself was breathing!

These thoughts shaped themselves with greater or less definition in

Brayton's mind, and begot action.  The process is what we call

consideration and decision.  It is thus that we are wise and

unwise.  It is thus that the withered leaf in an autumn breeze

shows greater or less intelligence than its fellows, falling upon

the land or upon the lake.  The secret of human action is an open

one--something contracts our muscles.  Does it matter if we give to

the preparatory molecular changes the name of will?

Brayton rose to his feet and prepared to back softly away from the

snake, without disturbing it, if possible, and through the door.

People retire so from the presence of the great, for greatness is

power, and power is a menace.  He knew that he could walk backward

without obstruction, and find the door without error.  Should the

monster follow, the taste which had plastered the walls with

paintings had consistently supplied a rack of murderous Oriental

weapons from which he could snatch one to suit the occasion.  In

the meantime the snake's eyes burned with a more pitiless

malevolence than ever.

Brayton lifted his right foot free of the floor to step backward.

That moment he felt a strong aversion to doing so.

"I am accounted brave," he murmured; "is bravery, then, no more

than pride?  Because there are none to witness the shame shall I

retreat?"

He was steadying himself with his right hand upon the back of a

chair, his foot suspended.

"Nonsense!" he said aloud; "I am not so great a coward as to fear

to seem to myself afraid."

He lifted the foot a little higher by slightly bending the knee,

and thrust it sharply to the floor--an inch in front of the other!

He could not think how that occurred.  A trial with the left foot

had the same result; it was again in advance of the right.  The

hand upon the chair back was grasping it; the arm was straight,

reaching somewhat backward.  One might have seen that he was

reluctant to lose his hold.  The snake's malignant head was still

thrust forth from the inner coil as before, the neck level.  It had

not moved, but its eyes were now electric sparks, radiating an

infinity of luminous needles.

The man had an ashy pallor.  Again he took a step forward, and

another, partly dragging the chair, which, when finally released,

fell upon the floor with a crash.  The man groaned; the snake made

neither sound nor motion, but its eyes were two dazzling suns.  The

reptile itself was wholly concealed by them.  They gave off

enlarging rings of rich and vivid colors, which at their greatest

expansion successively vanished like soap bubbles; they seemed to

approach his very face, and anon were an immeasurable distance

away.  He heard, somewhere, the continual throbbing of a great

drum, with desultory bursts of far music, inconceivably sweet, like

the tones of an aeolian harp.  He knew it for the sunrise melody of

Memnon's statue, and thought he stood in the Nileside reeds,

hearing, with exalted sense, that immortal anthem through the

silence of the centuries.

The music ceased; rather, it became by insensible degrees the

distant roll of a retreating thunderstorm.  A landscape, glittering

with sun and rain, stretched before him, arched with a vivid

rainbow, framing in its giant curve a hundred visible cities.  In

the middle distance a vast serpent, wearing a crown, reared its

head out of its voluminous convolutions and looked at him with his

dead mother's eyes.  Suddenly this enchanting landscape seemed to

rise swiftly upward, like the drop scene at a theater, and vanished

in a blank.  Something struck him a hard blow upon the face and

breast.  He had fallen to the floor; the blood ran from his broken

nose and his bruised lips.  For a moment he was dazed and stunned,

and lay with closed eyes, his face against the door.  In a few

moments he had recovered, and then realized that his fall, by

withdrawing his eyes, had broken the spell which held him.  He felt

that now, by keeping his gaze averted, he would be able to retreat.

But the thought of the serpent within a few feet of his head, yet

unseen--perhaps in the very act of springing upon him and throwing

its coils about his throat--was too horrible.  He lifted his head,

stared again into those baleful eyes, and was again in bondage.

The snake had not moved, and appeared somewhat to have lost its

power upon the imagination; the gorgeous illusions of a few moments

before were not repeated.  Beneath that flat and brainless brow its

black, beady eyes simply glittered, as at first, with an expression

unspeakably malignant.  It was as if the creature, knowing its

triumph assured, had determined to practice no more alluring wiles.

Now ensued a fearful scene.  The man, prone upon the floor, within

a yard of his enemy, raised the upper part of his body upon his

elbows, his head thrown back, his legs extended to their full

length.  His face was white between its gouts of blood; his eyes

were strained open to their uttermost expansion.  There was froth

upon his lips; it dropped off in flakes.  Strong convulsions ran

through his body, making almost serpentine undulations.  He bent

himself at the waist, shifting his legs from side to side.  And

every movement left him a little nearer to the snake.  He thrust

his hands forward to brace himself back, yet constantly advanced

upon his elbows.

IV

Dr. Druring and his wife sat in the library.  The scientist was in

rare good humor.

"I have just obtained, by exchange with another collector," he

said, "a splendid specimen of the Ophiophagus."

"And what may that be?" the lady inquired with a somewhat languid

interest.

"Why, bless my soul, what profound ignorance!  My dear, a man who

ascertains after marriage that his wife does not know Greek, is

entitled to a divorce.  The Ophiophagus is a snake which eats other

snakes."

"I hope it will eat all yours," she said, absently shifting the

lamp.  "But how does it get the other snakes?  By charming them, I

suppose."

"That is just like you, dear," said the doctor, with an affectation

of petulance.  "You know how irritating to me is any allusion to

that vulgar superstition about the snake's power of fascination."

The conversation was interrupted by a mighty cry which rang through

the silent house like the voice of a demon shouting in a tomb.

Again and yet again it sounded, with terrible distinctness.  They

sprang to their feet, the man confused, the lady pale and

speechless with fright.  Almost before the echoes of the last cry

had died away the doctor was out of the room, springing up the

staircase two steps at a time.  In the corridor, in front of

Brayton's chamber, he met some servants who had come from the upper

floor.  Together they rushed at the door without knocking.  It was

unfastened, and gave way.  Brayton lay upon his stomach on the

floor, dead.  His head and arms were partly concealed under the

foot rail of the bed.  They pulled the body away, turning it upon

the back.  The face was daubed with blood and froth, the eyes were

wide open, staring--a dreadful sight!

"Died in a fit," said the scientist, bending his knee and placing

his hand upon the heart.  While in that position he happened to

glance under the bed.  "Good God!" he added; "how did this thing

get in here?"

He reached under the bed, pulled out the snake, and flung it, still

coiled, to the center of the room, whence, with a harsh, shuffling

sound, it slid across the polished floor till stopped by the wall,

where it lay without motion.  It was a stuffed snake; its eyes were

two shoe buttons.

From "Tales of Soldiers and Civilians," by Ambrose Bierce.

Copyright, 1891, by E. L. G. Steele.