“Only a piece of tin!” she exclaimed, a smile coming over her face. “And even Teddy thought he had been bitten! But whatever it was—I’m glad you’re all right, Teddy dear! And now, I have an idea.”
Belle was once more herself. Patting her hair, she walked steadily toward the car. Then she flung open the door and held up a white package. It was the lunch Sing Lung had prepared.
“Gentlemen,” she cried, “dinner is served! Long live Sing Lung! Come and get it!”
CHAPTER IX
Roy’s Suspicions
As the Manley boys and their sister sat in the car munching sandwiches, now and then Teddy would glance at his hand, which still showed the red scratch, and shake his head in wonder that such a strange mistake could have happened. It hardly seemed possible that one could imagine he had been bitten by a rattler when there was no snake within miles, for all they knew. Yet, the “whir-r-r” of that tin certainly did sound like the warning of a side-winder. And when his hand had been injured at the same time—what other conclusion could be drawn?
Of course both Roy and Teddy knew that a snake’s bite would usually be nothing more than two small punctures in the flesh, yet if the hand was being withdrawn when the fangs hit it, the flesh could easily be torn.
The two boys and their sister did not talk much of Teddy’s experience. Somehow, it hardly seemed the thing to joke about, even though it had turned out so fortunately. The laughter of the boys on discovering the piece of tin was not born of true mirth, but was a natural outlet for the strain they had been under.
It took some time for the travelers to recover their usual spirits, but Sing Lung’s food helped a great deal, and when the sandwiches were finished they set off once more toward the 8 X 8 with lighter hearts. And as they proceeded, the reaction set in—a reaction of happy, carefree joyousness. The boys thought of Nell and Curly, and, as always happens after a period of depression, anticipation of coming pleasure swelled to mountainous proportions in their minds. The whole world suddenly appeared rose-colored, and the most prosaic things in it took on a carnival aspect. The sun-drenched trees they passed seemed to smile at them. It was no longer hot, but only pleasantly warm—a wonderful day for anything.
“Yay, look at ole cottontail” Teddy yelled, pointing ahead. “Go get him, Roy! Step on it!”