The Peril Finders Part 28

"I think there can, sir," replied the doctor. "This forces us to bivouac, as the soldiers call it, in the serpent-inhabited desert. But we must do it, I suppose. The snakes will not be stirring during the darkness. But we must hope that when we find the gold region, it will not be such a serpent-haunted spot as this; the gold could not have better guardians to keep it safe."

No one spoke for a few minutes, during which the doctor sat upon his horse watching the movements of the serpents.

"That seems to be the only way," he said at last.

"To wait, father?"

"Yes. We had better build up a cairn with some of these stones to guide us to the spot when we come to hunt for it in the dark."

"No need to build a cairn, sir, if I plant three or four stones on the top of that big rock there."

"No; but what about finding it in the dark?"

"Lanthorn will set that right, sir."

"Very well. Up with them, then. Help him, Chris; I'll hold the horses."

The reins were handed to the speaker, and Griggs pointed to a large light-grey piece of lava.

"If you can lift one end of that, squire, to help me, that bit would stand upright on the top of this block. This would do, for it's light-coloured. Can you do it?"

"Oh yes; it's the same sort of stone as this," said Chris, pushing a piece with his foot, "all full of holes, like sponge and cinder."

"Come on, then."

They stooped down one at either end of the fragment, some three feet long and one wide, looking squared like a crystal, and as if Nature had taken the first steps towards providing the builder of a house with a piece to form part of a door-post.

"Yes, it's light enough," said Chris, lifting one end, and then uttering a cry as he dropped it again, to start back, for there was a sharp hiss, a dull rattling sound--not sharp enough for a rattle--and a large snake glided from beneath, to curl up menacingly, while from the other side a second had appeared, to begin writhing and darting about, striking at random into the air as far as it could reach, while the doctor had hard work to restrain the prancing horses.

Needless to say, Chris and his companion had lost no time in getting beyond reach of the poisonous reptiles, and helping the doctor by each seizing his horse's rein.

"A pretty narrow escape," cried the latter. "Why, the place is alive with the reptiles."

"Looks like it, sir," said Griggs. "Dessay we're standing on some of their holes now."

"But don't you see?" cried Chris excitedly; "that second one's pinned by the tail. When I let my end fall it must have caught it fast."

"Rather a pity," said Griggs cynically. "It must have spoiled the rattle. S'pose it hurts too. Look at him!--That's no good, my beauty.

Stone can't feel. Ah, you idiot, you don't belong to the wise serpents we read about. Look at him biting at the stone."

"In impotent malice," said the doctor, watching the frantic efforts of the reptile.

"That chap's safe enough now, Squire Chris."

"Safe! I shouldn't like to risk going near him."

"But you might; he's held fast by that tail of his, and all he could do would be to thrash you with his long body."

"And bite," said Chris.

"Nay; his biting would go for nothing now."

"What about his fangs?"

"Snapped off like points of gla.s.s. They were sharp enough and poisonous enough, but bound to say the poison's all out on the stone, along with the teeth. Razors are very sharp and would make horrible cuts, but not after you'd been chopping a piece of stone with them like that, eh, doctor?"

"I think you are right, Griggs," said the doctor, who seemed fascinated by the reptile's impotent struggles.

"Well, you are a sneak," cried Griggs. "Gahn with you! I'd put my tail between my legs if I were you, only you haven't got none. That's right; rattle away. I say, I hope he hasn't gone to fetch a lot of his mates to pitch into us."

"That's not likely," said the doctor, as he watched the bigger and free snake gliding swiftly away, heedless of the struggles of its companion, which was evidently growing exhausted by its furious efforts to release the lower portion of its body.

"What are you going to do?" said the doctor quickly, as Griggs handed him his horse's rein again.

"I'm going to put that chap out of his misery, sir," replied the American.

"No, no; don't fire. It's waste of a charge."

"Not a-going to, sir. There's more ways of killing a cat, you know, than hanging it. Eh, Squire Chris?"

As he spoke Griggs put his hand to his belt, in which a stout keen hunting or bowie-knife was stuck, and drew out the glittering blade.

"Going to cut his head off?" said Chris eagerly.

"Yes, unless you like to, squire."

"I will," cried Chris.

"I don't want you to run any risks, my boy," said the doctor. "Do you think you can do it without danger?"

"Oh yes, father," said the lad, drawing his own perfectly new knife.

"See how slowly the thing keeps on lifting up its head, to hold it quivering in the air before letting it fall down again on the rock."

"But if it saw you go near it might strike at you."

"I don't think so, father. Look, it must be blind. It has battered its head horribly against the stone. I think it's quite blind."

"So it is, sir," said Griggs. "There's no more danger there, sir. Let him do it. We want him to be cool and ready for anything now."

"May I do it, father?"

"Well, yes; but stand well at arm's length, and give a good, careful, sweeping draw-cut with your knife."

Chris eagerly handed his rein to his father, and then went cautiously towards the quivering reptile, which kept on rising up and falling down inert with a regular action, save that it grew more slow.

Chris drew near till he was almost within striking distance, and waited till the snake had risen to its greatest height, that is to say, about two feet above the stone and three feet in all from the sand on which the boy stood.

"Take care," said the doctor.