“Come on, then.”
They stooped down one at either end of the fragment, some three feet long and one wide, looking squared like a crystal, and as if Nature had taken the first steps towards providing the builder of a house with a piece to form part of a door-post.
“Yes, it’s light enough,” said Chris, lifting one end, and then uttering a cry as he dropped it again, to start back, for there was a sharp hiss, a dull rattling sound—not sharp enough for a rattle—and a large snake glided from beneath, to curl up menacingly, while from the other side a second had appeared, to begin writhing and darting about, striking at random into the air as far as it could reach, while the doctor had hard work to restrain the prancing horses.
Needless to say, Chris and his companion had lost no time in getting beyond reach of the poisonous reptiles, and helping the doctor by each seizing his horse’s rein.
“A pretty narrow escape,” cried the latter. “Why, the place is alive with the reptiles.”
“Looks like it, sir,” said Griggs. “Dessay we’re standing on some of their holes now.”
“But don’t you see?” cried Chris excitedly; “that second one’s pinned by the tail. When I let my end fall it must have caught it fast.”
“Rather a pity,” said Griggs cynically. “It must have spoiled the rattle. S’pose it hurts too. Look at him!—That’s no good, my beauty. Stone can’t feel. Ah, you idiot, you don’t belong to the wise serpents we read about. Look at him biting at the stone.”
“In impotent malice,” said the doctor, watching the frantic efforts of the reptile.
“That chap’s safe enough now, Squire Chris.”