"It squirms—I saw it!" she cried.
"No you didn't either," said Tom. "You just thought so, because you're so scared. But it is a snake, sure enough and it's asleep. Guess we'd better not arouse it."
"Somebody ought to kill it," Hetty whispered, her teeth chattering. "One of yon boys'd better get Uncle Pomp; have him bring his hoe or something."
"I'll go," said Charlie quickly.
"Let's all go," suggested Mabel.
Tom hesitated a little. He was the bravest of the lot, though the youngest.
"Say, somebody ought to stay and watch that snake; if it crawls down, we want to know where he goes to. I'll stay—only get Uncle Pomp soon's you can."
But the children couldn't find the old darkey. So the children came trooping back to the house. But when they peeped into mamma's room again, there was no snake on the bed! Nor was there any Tom to be seen!
"Shucks! I knew he wasn't as brave as he pretended to be—you see he's deserted!" growled Charlie.
