“Hello! what’s the trouble?” exclaimed Jack, bringing his own steed to a halt. “Are you hurt, Gif?”
“No. I’m all right. But what startled that horse?” demanded the other lad, as he scrambled to his feet. Then he gave a sudden yell. “It’s a snake! Look out!”
All looked in the direction pointed out by Gif, and there saw a black object wriggling away through the brushwood. As quickly as they could Jack and Spouter, who were close by, pulled out their pistols and fired at the snake. They saw the reptile rise up in the air, turning and twisting, and then disappear from sight between the rocks.
“What’s up? What are you shooting at?” cried Fred, galloping to the spot.
“A snake. He scared Gif’s horse and threw Gif into the bushes.”
“Where is he?”
“I guess he got away, although I think we wounded him,” answered Jack.
“It’s funny how that horse shied,” said Spouter. “Maybe he stepped right on the snake.”
“That might be,” put in Fred. “Maybe the snake was sunning himself and didn’t notice our approach until the horse stepped on him. Then he switched around, and that must have started the horse off. I wonder if we can catch him.”
“I think so,” answered Spouter. “Gosh! I’m glad no one was bit. That snake looked to be of pretty good size.”