Bob and Joe did their part in the specimen-collecting, and they at once won the recognition of their elders for their accurate shooting. Bob was especially praised, for he was not far behind the men in marksmanship.
The hunters had been out several hours when Mr. Lewis suggested that they get back to the village.
“Professor Bigelow and the others may worry about us,” he said. “In my opinion we have been out long enough for the first time.”
The others agreed, and they were about to retrace their footsteps when Joe caught sight of something that turned his blood cold.
CHAPTER XVI
A Thrilling Encounter
PROTRUDING from a tree bough not ten feet away was a long, sinister snake, its evil eyes glistening in what little sunlight penetrated the dense jungle. Whether it was poisonous Joe did not know, but he knew that even though it were not it would be dangerous to the extreme.
As cautiously as possible he nudged his companions, and then the naturalists held their rifles tighter. Here, only a short distance away, was a jararaca, one of the most poisonous of Brazilian reptiles—a snake that often was known to take the aggressive.
For a moment there was silence—an ominous silence that ended in a blood-curdling hiss.