"My! That was a narrow escape!" gasped Maud. "You might have sprained your ankle."
"Which would have been all the more romantic," added Cora, smiling faintly. "It would have been material for Ray's sketchbook."
"Never, Cora!" cried Ray. "But come on. Let's go to some less dangerous part of this ruin. You know they say this was once a church, but was made into a sort of castle by an eccentric individual—"
"Who did dark and bloody deeds and whose spirit now haunts the place," interrupted Maud.
"Oh, don't!" begged Ray. "It's not quite as bad as that, but I heard some one say that on certain dark nights that—"
"Stop it!" commanded Cora. "My nerves are all right, but I'm still shaky from that stone. Let's see if—"
"Oh!" cried Bess suddenly. "There's something there, girls," and, with dramatic gesture, she pointed to a pile of leaves in one corner. "Something moved there, I'm sure of it!"
They looked, and all started as the leaves actually did move.
"Come on!" cried Ray. They gathered up their skirts and were hurrying from the old room into which they had penetrated when the leaves rustled still more, and from them came a tiny snake. There was a chorus of screams and Cora found herself alone in the ruined chamber. She was pale but resolute as she followed her companions sedately.
"Weren't you awfully frightened?" asked Ray as Cora joined them.