"I'll get a gun!" yelled Shep, and made a dash for the nearest of the firearms.
"Don't shoot us!" called out Whopper.
Catching up a weapon, Shep came up close and let drive almost in the face of the water snake. It was a telling shot, and the reptile whipped wildly this way and that. Then it fell into the water and was quickly lost to sight.
"Is—-is he gone?" gasped Whopper.
"Yes," answered Giant. "Shep finished him."
"That was no joke," said Snap, when he could speak. He was trembling from head to foot.
"A joke? Well, I reckon not!" spluttered Whopper. "Ugh! It makes me shiver to think about it."
"Let us get out of here," came from Snap. "Remember, where there is one snake there may be more."
"Then I am going to quit right now!" cried Shep, and lost no time in leaving the neighborhood, followed by the others.
The boys concluded that they had had adventures enough for one day and went back to camp. Here two of the lads set to work to make a rabbit pot-pie, with dumplings. They had seen such things made at home and went at the task with care. When the pot-pie was served all declared it "the best ever." Perhaps the dumplings were a trifle heavy, but what of that? Living in the open air had sharpened their appetites wonderfully and nobody was disposed to quarrel over the meal.