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349
The Journal of a Disappointed Man
·
W. N. P. Barbellion
23
Went
to
L----
Sessions.
After
the
Court
rose,
I
transcribed
my
notes
quickly
and
walked
out
to
the
famous
Valley
of
Rocks
which
Southey
described
as
the
ribs
of
the
old
Earth
poking
through.
At
the
bottom
of
one
of
the
hills
saw
a
snake,
a
Red
Viper.
Put
my
boot
on
him
quickly
so
that
he
couldn't
get
away
and
then
recognised
him
as
a
specimen
of
what
I
consider
to
be
the
fourth
species
of
British
Serpent--Vipera
rubra.
The
difficulty
was
to
know
how
to
secure
him.
This
species
is
more
ferocious
than
the
ordinary
V.
bera,
and
I
did
not
like
the
idea
of
putting
my
hand
down
to
seize
him
by
the
neck.
I
stood
for
some
time
with
my
foot
so
firmly
pressed
down
on
its
back
that
my
leg
ached
and
I
began
to
wonder
if
I
had
been
bitten.
I
held
on
and
presently
hailed
a
baker's
cart
coming
along
the
road.
The
man
got
out
and
ran
across
the
grass
to
where
I
stood.
I
showed
him
what
I
had
beneath
my
boot
and
he
produced
a
piece
of
string
which
I
fastened
around
the
snake's
tail
and
so
gently
hauled
the
little
brute
up.
It
already
appeared
moribund,
but
I
squashed
its
head
on
the
grass
with
my
heel
to
make
certain.
After
parting
with
the
baker,
to
whom
all
thanks
be
given,
I
remember
that
Adders
are
tenacious
of
life
and
so
I
continue
to
carry
him
at
string's
length
and
occasionally
wallop
him
against
a
stone.
As
he
was
lifeless
I
wrapped
him
in
paper
and
put
him
in
my
pocket--though
to
make
assurance
doubly
sure
I
left
the
string
on
and
let
its
end
hang
out
over
my
pocket.
So
home
by
a
two
hours'
railway
journey
with
the
adder
in
the
pocket
of
my
overcoat
and
the
overcoat
on
the
rack
over
my
head.
Settled
down
to
the
reading
of
a
book
on
Spinoza's
Ethics.
At
home
it
proved
to
be
quite
alive,
and,
on
being
pulled
out
by
the
string,
coiled
up
on
the
drawing-room
floor
and
hissed
in
a
fury,
to
my
infinite
surprise.
Finished
him
off
with
the
poker
and
so
spoilt
the
skin.
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