I shook my head. “What is it? A drink?”
“It’s a sure cure for snake bite.”
While we were talking, Bogle sat with his head in his hands, in a kind of stupefied daze. He wasn’t causing any trouble, so we ignored him.
“How do you mean… a sure cure?” I prompted.
“Listen, young man, I’ve seen men die of snake bite. It’s a pretty nasty business. I’ve seen men of this little village pick up a coral snake and let it strike at them, and then put this ointment on. They feel no effects at all.”
“Probably they’ve drawn the poison before demonstrating,” I said sceptically.
Ansell shook his head. “I’ve given them a pretty thorough test. Rattle snakes, scorpions and coral snakes. Teopatli fixes any of these bites like lightning.”
“All right, where do we go from there?”
“I want to get the recipe from this Indian fella and I think Miss Shumway can get it for me.”
Myra stared at him. “Someone’s been out in the sun without a nice, big, shady hat,” she said.