"How can we drive it out, Sree?" said Mr. Kenyon. "We must get rid of it somehow."
Sree shook his head.
"I'm afraid it will go to sleep now, Sahib," he said.
"For how long?"
"Three weeks or a month, Sahib. Until it gets hungry again."
"Why not get guns and two of us stand near here to see if it comes out of this hole, while the others go from room to room hammering on the floor?"
"That sounds well," said the merchant.
"And it would be good to try first if a cat would go down. Snakes do not like cats or the mongoose, and the cat might drive it out. Cats hate snakes."
"That sounds like a good plan, too, Sree. Suppose we try that first.
We have a cat, but what about a mongoose? Have you got one?"
"I had one when I was in Hindooland, Sahib, but perhaps it is dead now."