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chapter after the customary amount. To me the first part was more interesting than the last, but of course the boys like the fighting and scouting.

[[left margin note underlined]] Sidewinder [[/left margin note]]

What I particularly wanted to write you about was my first rattlesnake! February 27 Father and Miss Leonowens and I went out for a Sunday morning walk, and all in no time I heard an unmistakable noise, Father threw a rock at him (the noise!) and he slid under a bush. Neither of the 

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others [[underline]] heard [[/underline]] him at all, as neither of them hear very well so they were inclined to doubt ^[[insertion]] his identity [[/insertion]] until a day or so after when he was found dead- - a side-winder about 18 inches long with seven rattles. I did wish you had been there. We were all so excited and inexperienced we didn't see half we might have - not the "sidewinding" at all. [[underline]] Would [[/underline]] you have picked him up by the back of the neck? He is not as shapely as the gopher snake - at least he is rather disgusting dead. Would 

Transcription Notes:
Reviewed and edited. Added markup for [[insertion]] in line with Smithsonian Archives previous requests. -@siobhanleachman