“I guess we don’t care to smoke, stranger,” said the mine superintendent. “And, as for sizing us up as prospectors who have struck it rich, you’ve got another guess coming. We’re out with Professor Uriah Snodgrass in a search for luminous snakes.”
“Snakes! Huh!” exclaimed the man, who looked like a gambler or “sport.”
“Exactly!” exclaimed the professor, hearing his favorite topic mentioned. “Snakes of light—illustris serpensus—Do you happen to know anything of them, sir?”
“Who, me? I should say not!” and the man, evidently much disappointed, moved away.
“He got his all right!” chuckled Ned.
“Yes; evidently he thought to scrape an acquaintance and get us to talk,” said Jerry.
“But he had no use for bug-hunters!” chuckled Mr. Brill. “That’s a good stunt, boys; to pretend to be scientists. We’ll keep it up. We can’t be too careful.”
They traveled all that day and night, little of incident occurring. The black-moustached man did not trouble them further. The next day found them well on their way to the border.
The car they were traveling in was a comfortable one, and they would not have to change for some time. There was a dining coach attached to the train, and Bob rejoiced in looking over the bill of fare when he had nothing else to do.
It was on the second day out, and toward evening when they were just beginning to think about supper that Jerry, who had been walking through the train to “stretch his legs,” came back to his friends.