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the house
The two-roomed house is built of round timber, slabs, and stringy-bark, and floored with split slabs. -
Spoting of the snake
The eldest boy (Tommy) shouts out "its in the wood heap" then the mother shouts at him to come to her or he will get bitten "then the snake went under the house. -
Dayfall
The mum orders the children to the floorless kitchen, they know the snake is still in the house. She then brings the children in, and makes them get on the table. They are two boys and two girls - mere babies. She gives them some supper, and then, before it gets dark, she goes into house, and snatches up some pillows and bedclothes. -
midnight
Near midnight. The children are all asleep and she sits there still, sewing and reading. From time to time she glances round the floor and wall-plate, and, whenever she hears a noise, she reaches for the stick. -
the morning
it is now day and its hot from the fire last night says the mother. Alligator still watches the wall from time to time. Suddenly he becomes greatly interested he goes near the wall and feels a rush go through him. -
The kill
The hair on the back of neck begins to bristle, and the battle-light is in his yellow eyes. She knows what this means, and lays her hand on the stick. The lower end of one of the partition slabs has a large crack on both sides. then she could see the evil eyes of the snake.
The snake comes out a bit and snaps its jaws into the snake and pulled it out and started shaking it around and around then the snakes back breaks. The mother quickly throws it into the fire to watch it burn.