"That way—under the laurel! But mercy sakes, Miss Miller! Don't go near the horrid thing!" cried Elena, now forgetting her nausea in her anxiety to keep the Guide from the snake.
Miss Miller ran over to the bush followed closely by Elena and the other girls. No sign of the snake could be seen as, of course, the Guide knew it would have slipped away long before.
She turned with a sigh of disappointment to find Elena as eager to see the reptile again as the others were.
"Feeling quite right again, Elena?" asked Miss Miller, smiling at the girl.
"Wh-y, ye-es! But ugh! It was slippery!" replied Elena.
"Then you forgot to use your 'ready help'! What an opportunity for you to have won a point in advance of the others. I was the only one who took advantage of it, so I am ahead in this race," said Miss Miller.
"What do you mean?" asked Zan, puzzled.
"Wouldn't you have screamed and shaken it off, had a snake slid down on your hand?" queried Elena, amazed.
"If I felt startled, I doubtless would, but I would also have applied 'ready help' the moment I felt as ill over the incident as you seemed to be. As it was, not one of you appreciated the circumstances to help, so I had to step in."
"But, Miss Miller, you didn't do a thing!" exclaimed Jane.