Chapter 4

He shuddered at the thought. Another titbit he had read was that snakes sometimes liked to slip into occupied sleeping bags, where it was warm, and curl up. It was for that reason alone he had purchased a snake-proof sleeping bag, with a hood he could secure around his head by pulling the drawstring tight. It had the added advantage of covering his ears and therefore preventing any other smaller, creepy crawlies from climbing into his ears.

It was late afternoon, almost evening, when he happened upon a small clearing where the sunlight had kept the ground relatively dry. The perfect place to pitch his tent for the night. He undid the harness holding his backpack in place and wriggled out of it, letting it drop to the ground with a dull thud. What sweet relief it was to be free of that necessary burden.