“What!” cried Aunt Georgie. “You put the snake in the kitchen?”
The black nodded.
“Mine put snake in kidgen for big white Mary.”
“To bite me?”
“Baal—baal—baal bite big white Mary. Big white Mary, Marmi (captain), plenty bite snake. Good to eat.”
“Here, I see,” cried Norman, bursting out laughing, the black joining in. “He brought the snake for you to cook, auntie.”
“What!” cried Aunt Georgie, who turned red with anger as the boy shook himself loose and ran round to the kitchen door, closely followed by Shanter and the others.
As Norman ran into the kitchen, he stopped short and pointed the gun, for right in the middle of the floor, writhing about in a way that might easily have been mistaken for menace, was a large carpet-snake.
Just as the boy realised that its head had been injured, Shanter made a rush past him, seized the snake by the tail, and ran out again dragging it after him with one hand, then snatching out his club, he dropped the tail, and quick as thought gave the writhing creature a couple of heavy blows on the head.
“Baal mumkull nuff,” he said, as the writhing nearly ceased. Then, taking hold of the tail again, he began to drag the reptile back toward the kitchen door, but Norman stopped him.