"Get out of that, you mangy muddler," Selwyn said, prodding him on the way.
The light from the lanterns thrust far into the shadows; and, behold, upon a patch of sand among the piles was discovered the python heaped in an evil mass and holding the dead fowl among his coils. Black he showed, and dark green in places, and supple and wicked and beautiful and fierce and fascinating and treacherous all in one glance, so that a man must look to admire, and yet turn his head in loathing.
"That's him! That's him!" said Neville. "And I reckoned he wouldn't wait our visit."
"Hilton, I implore you," Mrs. Selwyn cried. That was her single moment of weakness.
Selwyn hooked the lantern on a convenient ledge, where the light fell in all corners of the battle-field. The python made no business of departure, but stared at this hurly-burly from cold eyes in a shovel head as big as a woman's hand. Forward went Selwyn to the combat, taut and tucked up, but never a moment in doubt. All the while he talked to himself, assuring all who cared to listen, courage and a stout right hand must win, and that the gentle persuasion of a boxwood club at the nape of the neck must settle the account even of the serpent of Eden.
"A-ha, gently does it. Keep back, sir"—and a yelp told that Gripper had tested the weight of his master's staff. "Kindly, kindly, is my way. Bring a lantern this way—more to the right—more to the right. A-ha, my beauty, allow me to introduce the friend in my hand."
Neville wagged his head from the back of affairs. "Power, ye had better see what he's doing," he said. "He'll be getting into mischief. That will be a big feller when he's pulled straight."
As Power stepped forward, Mrs. Nankervis ran out of the house with the gun.
"There's sense, woman," said Neville. "Hey, Power, give him this."
Power put Maud in charge of a lantern, and took the gun. "That's rather a risky business, Mr. Selwyn," he said. "He is too big for a stick."