"I suppose it's sure death if you're once bitten," remarked Sammy.
"Wall, you might as well say good-bye," replied Hank, "especially with a big feller like this. Sometimes a man gits over it but he ain't ginerally much good fur the rest of his life."
"But I've got to go down to the corral now to look after my horses," Hank continued. "I'll be back in about ten minutes. In the meantime you kin be makin' friends with this feller. He seems to hev a right sweet disposition."
"He'll be right here when you come back," laughed George. "There isn't any one of us who wants to steal him to make a pet of him."
Hank went away, and again the boys turned their attention to the wriggling reptile.
"I've been half wanting to see one of these fellows out on the ranch," remarked Sammy; "but now I guess I don't. It's plenty good enough to see him in this strong box."
"I guess Hank has got him fastened in pretty tight," observed Bob.
"Sure he has," replied George, pointing to a hasp and staple that held the cover down. "He's as safe here as he would be in a cage at the menagerie."
In their eagerness to study the monster, Frank leaned too heavily on the edge of the small table on which Hank had set the box. There was a startled exclamation from the other boys as the table went over with a crash, putting out the candle and sending the box with a thud against the door.
"That was a clumsy thing to do, Frank," said his brother, in vexation. "Pick up that candle and I'll light it. Hurry now, so that we can see what we are doing."