“He’s in trouble again!” exclaimed Ned. “We must go to his rescue!”
“Have you got your revolver?” asked Jerry, as Ned was about to rush away.
“No; it’s in the auto.”
“Better get it. I’ll take a rifle along. Bob, you bring the rope. No telling what has happened, and we may need all three.”
With rifle, revolver and rope the three boys rushed into the forest to the rescue of their friend. They could hear his shouts more plainly now.
“Hurry or he’ll kill me!” cried the professor.
Running at top speed the boys emerged into a sort of clearing. There they saw a sight that filled them with terror.
Professor Snodgrass was standing underneath a tree, from one of the lower branches of which a big snake had dropped its sinuous folds about him. The reptile was slowly winding its coils about the unfortunate man, tightening and tightening them. Its ugly head was within a few feet of the professor’s face, and the man was striking at the snake with the butterfly net.
“We’re coming! We’ll save you!” shouted Jerry.
The boy started to run close to the naturalist, intending to get near enough to fire at the snake’s head without danger of hitting the professor.