“What was that he said about turning to the left?” asked Ned.
“We are to turn when we come to the place where the laughing monkey is,” said Bob.
“Serpent was what he said,” observed Jerry. “The laughing serpent. I wonder what that can be. I never saw a snake laugh.”
“It might be a figure of speech, or he may have meant there is a stone image carved in that design set up to mark a road,” spoke the professor. “However, we shall see.”
Dinner was eaten in a little glade beside a small brook, where some fish were caught. Then, while the boys stretched out on the grass, the professor, who was never idle, took a small rifle and said he would go into the forest and see if he could not get a few specimens.
“Look out for snakes!” called Ned.
“I will,” replied the naturalist, remembering his former experience.
About an hour later, when Jerry was just beginning to think it was time to start off, the stillness of the forest was broken by a terrible and blood-curdling yell.
“A tiger!” cried Bob.
“There are no tigers here,” said Jerry. “But it’s some wild beast!”