“I see two of them!” said Laura, and gave a shudder. “Oh, dear me! And they are right between us and the island! However are we to get back to the picnic grounds?”
All of the young folks kept at a distance. Two of the snakes were still in sight, the third had disappeared.
“Maybe we had better stone ’em,” said Andy. “That’s what I’d do if I was alone.”
“If you do that they may come for us,” answered Flossie, almost tearfully.
“If we only had sticks!” sighed Dale, but there were no sticks or bushes on the headland, only grass and rocks.
The cadets talked the situation over and then, leaving the girls at the extreme end of the headland, the lads picked up a number of jagged stones and advanced with caution to where the snakes had been seen. Two were still in view and they aimed at these and hit each.
“That’s the way to do it!” cried Andy, as the snakes dropped back in a hollow and commenced to squirm around. “Give ’em some more stones!” The stones were forthcoming and one that was well-aimed took the larger of the two snakes in the head, killing it. But the other continued to whip around, and presently came out on the rocks and in the direction of the cadets.
“He’s coming this way!”
“Hit him with another stone!”
Jack was trying to get another stone when the snake made a sudden move and twined around the young major’s ankle. Jack took his free foot and tried to kick it off, but in vain.