Their dresses were very short,
and made of brown holland, with a garibaldi of blue-colored
flannel. They wore red flannel knickerbockers, and gaiters coming
up above the knee, of a very soft, flexible leather, made of deer's
skin. These gaiters were an absolute necessity, for the place
literally swarmed with snakes, and they constantly found them in
the garden when going out to gather vegetables. Most of these
snakes were harmless; but as some of them were very deadly, the
protection of the gaiters was quite necessary. The girls did not
like them at first, especially as their, brothers could not help
joking them a little, and Hubert said that they reminded him of two
yellow-legged partridges. However, they soon became accustomed to
them, and felt so much more comfortable about snakes afterward that
they would not have given them up upon any account.
The boys always wore high boots for the same reason, and had no
fear whatever of the snakes; but Mr. Hardy insisted that each of
them should always carry in a small inner pocket of their coats a
phial of spirits of ammonia, a small surgical knife, and a piece of
whipcord; the same articles being always kept in readiness at the
house. His instructions were, that in case of a bite they should
first suck the wound, then tie the whipcord round the limb above
the place bitten, and that they should then cut deeply into the
wound crossways, open it as much as possible, and pour in some
spirits of ammonia; that they should then pour the rest of the
ammonia into their water-bottle, which they always carried slung
over their shoulders, and should drink it off.
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