“You won’t catch me fooling around any flowers again; that is, strange ones,” said Gus, as he did as directed. “My, what a nasty place this is! No wonder the railroads have to offer a man a small fortune to work for them. I wouldn’t—Oh, Oliver, look! what is that?” And straightening up, the stout youth pointed to the opposite side of the bit of water. “It looked like the head of a turtle or something,” he went on. “I wonder if there are any turtles here?”
“I don’t see why there shouldn’t be. Still it might have been something else. Let us go.”
“Wait till I have a shy at it with this gourd.” Gus poised the gourd in his hand and let drive. “There! I reckon I hit him. Oh, my stars!”
Gus tumbled back in great haste, and Oliver did the same. The supposed turtle’s head had suddenly lifted, and there was revealed a hissing snake, fully eight feet long.
“A snake!” cried both.
For an instant the reptile seemed to stand nearly upright, its eyes glittering, and its slimy body quivering with anger. Then with a final hiss it darted headfirst into the pool and disappeared.
“Huh! that gives me a chill!” cried Gus. “I wonder where he has gone?”
“Perhaps he is coming after us,” replied Oliver. “Let us get out of here as fast as we can.”
“I don’t think he will make his appearance again, but still we had better go. There may be more.”
“There are!” cried Oliver. “See there!” He pointed almost under their feet and pulled Gus away. “That is the same or his mate. Let us run for it.”