There was the loud report of the rifle, and then all that was visible
was the slowly rising smoke.
"Missed him, sir?" cried Mark excitedly.
"Seems like it, my lad," was the reply, and the doctor opened the breech
of the piece to slip in a fresh cartridge. "But I only had a glance,
and--"
"Oh, murder!" cried Dan. "Here, let me get out of it," and he scrambled
from the hole, for the doctor's words were silenced by a rushing sound,
and through the fainter growing smoke were visible the writhings of a
great serpent whose head seemed to have turned its tail into a huge whip
with which the reptile had begun to thrash about in all directions,
leaving no doubt about the doctor's shot having had effect.
"Shouldn't like to be licked with such a flogger as that. My eye, Buck,
messmate, fancy what it would be if he had nine tails! But look out,
everyone; let's get to the top of the wall before he comes out among
us."
Bang!
For just when the heavy blows delivered around the sides of the hole
were at their height the doctor fired again, his shot being followed by
a rush on the part of the serpent, which flung itself out of the
excavation, scattering its enemies in different directions as they made
for shelter from the startling assault.
"Fire again, doctor! Fire again!" cried Mark, from half way up the
wall.
"I want a chance first," was the reply, from the top of the heap that
the men had formed. "He's making for the other side of the enclosure.
Well, I suppose I must follow him up."
"Take care," said Sir James, who as it happened had made for where a
couple of rifles were leaning against the wall. "Let me come with you."
"And me," cried Dean, who possessed himself of the other piece.
"Yes, but where do I come in?" said Mark. "Here, Buck, run to camp and
get another rifle."
"No, no," said Sir James. "Three of us are too many. Here, what does
the dwarf mean?" For the little fellow, who was making his way along
the crumbling top of the wall, suddenly stopped short and mutely
answered Sir James's question by pointing with his spear to where the
bushes were thickest. "We shan't be able to see it there," continued
Sir James.
As if the pigmy understood his words, he dropped down quickly, joined
the doctor, gave him an intelligent glance with his piercing dark eyes,
and then, spear in hand, made his way through the bushes to the other
side of the clump in which, the wounded serpent had sought for shelter.
"You had better leave it to me to finish the work," said the doctor,
following the little black.
"Yes," said Mark. "Too many cooks spoil the broth."
"Snake soup," said Dean, laughing; "and I don't know that I want to go."
"I do," cried Mark. "Here, hand over that rifle."
"Shan't. I want to defend myself. Get behind me, if you are afraid."
"You wait," cried Mark sharply.
"Quiet, there!" cried Sir James. "No one but the doctor is to fire. I
don't want the beater to be injured amongst those thick bushes."
There was a few moments' silence, for the faint rustling that had been
made by the reptile in its retreat through the thick growth had now
entirely ceased.
"It's all over," cried Buck.
"Not it, messmate," said Dan. "Them things arn't got nine tails, but
they've got nine lives. Even if you cut 'em up you have to kill each
piece, and then it won't die till after the sun goes down."
"Lu-lu-lu-lu-lu!" cried the pigmy, from where he was hidden on the other
side of the clump.
It was evidently intended to mean, "Look out, doctor," for the boys
caught sight for a moment of his raised spear, which disappeared
directly, and it was patent to all that it was being plunged again and
again in among the tangled growth.
The next moment the blows were resumed, as the serpent began to flog the
bushes. There was another report from the doctor's piece; the bushes
all about were in motion for a minute or two, and then the noise of the
reptile's writhing ceased.
"Killed him, doctor?" cried Mark.
"Can't say, my boy," was the reply, "but I am afraid I have completely
spoiled my specimen."
"Never mind, sir," said Dean; "it will be all right for the soup. But
do you think it's safe to go near? I want to see what the monster's
like."
"So do I," cried Mark; "but we will soon have him out. Here, Buck, step
in, lay hold and haul him out into the open."
"Where's that, Mark?" said his father, smiling.
"Well, where it's most open, dad. Now then, you Buck, look alive!"
"No, thank you, sir," said the man, grinning. "I don't want to see
him."
"Bah!" cried Mark. "You are afraid."
"That's right, sir; I am--'orrid. You tell Dan, sir. He'll go in with
his sharp spade and cut him up in chunks and shovel them out a bit at a
time. Snakes is nasty things to touch. Here, go on, messmate. Don't
you hear as the young gents wants to see it?"
"You go on! They didn't ask me to do it," said the sailor; "and he
arn't dead yet."
"Yah! What a fellow you are! Who's a-going to wait till it's dark and
the thing's made up its mind to die? Go on in."
"There arn't room to get a good sight of it," said Dan. "Cut his head
off, then. One good chop would do it."
"Not me! I know all about these things. They gets tight hold and
twissens theirselves round till they have squeezed all the wind out of
you. Here, I say, Mak; you understand these insecks; get hold of him
and pull him out."
The black looked at him laughingly and went forward, spear in hand, but
at that moment there was a rustling and crackling amongst the thick
growth, and everyone but the doctor, who stood firm ready for another
shot, began to retreat, but stopped as they realised the fact that the
pigmy had stuck his spear upright through one of the bushes, and had
seized hold of the serpent, to begin trying to haul it out.
There was a faint suggestion of writhing, a grunting ejaculation or two,
and a few words as if of appeal or command, which had the effect of
making Mak step forward to the pigmy's help, and together the blacks
hauled the dying reptile to where the morning's work had been going on.
"Well, I am disappointed," cried Mark. "It's only a little one, after
all."
"Little one!" said the doctor, as he bent over the stretched out prize.
"Why, it's a good twelve feet long! A python, evidently."
"And pretty thick," said Dean; "quite as thick round as my leg," and
raising his foot he planted it upon the serpent near to its tail. "Oh!"
he shouted, as he started back, for at his touch the reptile drew itself
up together almost in a knot, and then stretched itself out again, to
the great delight of the two blacks.
"Well, I don't see anything to laugh at," said Dean, and he looked
rather discomfited, while the doctor went on, "Beautifully marked. Not
unlike the Australian carpet snake; but quite spoiled as a specimen."
"Not a nice thing to take home, doctor," said Mark.
"The skin would not have been very heavy," said the doctor, smiling.
"Well, no," said Mark. "I say, Dean, carpet snake! How many skins
would it take to make one carpet?"
"Beg pardon, sir," said Dan; "think these 'ere have got any stings in
their tails?"
"No. Why?"
"Because he managed to catch me a flip across the lynes, and I've got a
sort of fancy that it's beginning to prickle, though I can't say as it
warn't a thorn."
"Ha, ha!" laughed Mark.
"I don't think about it, my lad," said the doctor, "and you may just as
well get rid of that popular fallacy."
"But some of them do sting, sir," said Buck, "because I did hear of a
fellow being killed by one in a precious little time."
"Not by a sting, my man," said the doctor, "but by a bite from some
small serpent that had poison fangs."
"Then don't no snakes have stings in their tails, sir?"
"No, my man; you must turn to insects or scorpions for dangers of that
class."
"Ho!" said Dan thoughtfully, as he stood looking down at the slowly
heaving length at his feet. "Well, I never knowed that before. But if
I had ha' knowed that this 'ere customer had got his nest in among them
ol' stones just where I was digging I should have mutinied against
orders and sent old Buck. Beg pardon, sir, but could you say if this
'ere was a cock or a hen?"
"No, I couldn't," said the doctor, laughing. "Why do you ask?"
"I was only wondering, sir, whether him or she had a messmate down in
the hole."
"You may take it for granted that if that serpent had a companion it has
escaped by now."
"Well, that's a comfort, sir."
"Oh, I see," said the doctor, with a peculiar look at the boys; "you
were thinking that we were wasting a good deal of time over this
business instead of digging down."
"That I warn't, sir," said the sailor indignantly; and then catching the
twinkle in the doctor's eye, he winked at him in return. "I wouldn't be
so unfair towards my messmates, sir," he hastened to say. "There's Buck
Denham been for ever so long wanting to handle the shovel, and I was
just a-going to say it would rest me a bit to take a turn with the
basket when my gentleman here said he was at home. Now, Buck, mate,
let's get on."
"That's his way of poking fun, Mr Dean, sir," said Buck, turning to the
boys. "Rum chap, ain't he? He's got a lot of comic in him sometimes.
He do make me laugh. No, Dan, mate, you stick to the spade; you don't
have so far to stoop as I should, and I shouldn't like you to get a
crick in your back by heaving up them loads, which are pretty lumpy
sometimes; and I will say that for you:--you did always fill them for
me, as much as they would hold."
"Well," said Sir James good-humouredly, "settle it between you, my lads,
for the doctor is, I am sure, anxious to go on."
"Thank you, Sir James; I am. Still, this is an interesting episode, and
one that I am sure the boys would not have liked to miss."
"That we shouldn't," they cried, in a breath. "But what's going to be
done with the snake?" said Dean. "It won't be in the way."
"No," said Mark, "and I suppose it isn't likely to come to life again;
but it won't do to have it lying there in the sun."
"No," echoed Dean, with a look of disgust; "it smells bad enough even
now."
"Look here," said Mark, "we will get rid of it at once. Take it away,
Mak;" and partly by signs he explained his wishes.
The black smiled, shrugged his shoulders, and spoke to his little
companion, who turned an enquiring look upon Mark, who nodded at once as
if to say, Yes, I wish it.
A word or two passed between the two, and Mak turned to Dan, signing to
him that he wanted him to come with him.
"What does he want, Dan?" cried Dean. "Knife, sir. All right,
messmate; I'll come." The pigmy had started off, dodging in and out
amongst the thick bushes, and stopped directly after by a long stout
cane, which he caught hold of and dragged out straight, signing to the
little sailor to use his knife.
"Cut it off down there, little 'un?--There you are, then. Now trim off
all them leaves?--Will that do for you? Want to tie it up in a bundle,
do you? 'Cause if you do I wish you joy of it. Better let it twist
itself up into a knot."
But Dan had misunderstood the pigmy's wishes, for as soon as the long
cane was clear he caught it up, turned back with Mak to where the
serpent lay, and waited while the big black pierced a hole in the
serpent's neck. The cane was passed through, and then each taking hold
of one end, they dragged the reptile over the ground out of the opening
of the kraal, and then onward to where the kopje ended in a little
precipice by which the bright stream of the river glided fast. Here
they stood swinging it backwards and forwards a few times, let go
together, and the nearly dead serpent fell into the water with a splash
and was swept away.
"That's an end of him, then, Dean," said Mark. "Come on; let's get
back. I want to find something before we give up for to-day;" and
hurrying on, leaving the two blacks to follow at their leisure, and, as
it struck the boys, rather unwillingly, the excavation was reached.
"Come along," said the doctor. "I have been waiting for you before I
began, for I did not want you to miss whatever we find next. Now,
Denham."
Buck seized the spade, leaped into the hole, and began to ply the tool
energetically, while the two keepers used the baskets, and Dan danced
about, as active as a cat, seizing the stones that were thrown out; and
in this way the hole was deepened.
"You don't seem to find anything," said Sir James.
"We haven't got to the bottom yet," replied the doctor.
"Perhaps there is no bottom," said Mark, laughing.
"Don't you see," said the doctor, "that we are standing in the interior
of some old building? It must have had some form of paving for the
bottom, and what we are clearing away is the rubbish that has fallen in.
Go on Denham. We shall find something before long."
The doctor was right, for before many minutes had elapsed the big
driver, who drove the spade in energetically and with all his strength,
suddenly shouted, "Bottom!" and stood tapping the spade down upon
something hard.
"Only another stone, messmate," cried Dan.
"Nay; smooth, hard bottom," said Buck. "Look here;" and after lifting
out several spadefuls of the loose stuff he scraped the tool backwards
and forwards over what seemed to be a perfectly level surface.
"You are quite right, Denham," said the doctor excitedly, "and you have
proved my words. Now then, Dance; jump down with that shovel and help
Denham clear out the loose stuff."
This took some little time, but at last the two men stood up in the
square hole, which was thoroughly cleared out, and exposed the level
flooring of the old building beneath one of whose walls they had been at
work.
"What?" cried the doctor, in answer to a question. "How far does it go?
It is impossible to say without clearing out the whole extent of the
place. What is the bottom, Denham--slabs of stone or bricks?"
"Neither, sir. As far as I can make out it's a kind of cement."
"Then that proves that the building can't be as old as we thought," said
Sir James.
"Oh, no," said the doctor. "Cement in some form or another is very
ancient;" and he paused for a few minutes while the last baskets of
rubbish which had been thrown out were carefully examined.
"Nothing here," said the doctor. "Now, Denham, I want that iron bar
that you use to make the holes for the tent pegs."
"Hop pitcher? Here, Bob, mate, run to the waggon and fetch it."
The interval of time taken by the younger keeper to fetch the big
pointed crowbar was utilised for further search, during which the two
blacks came back and stood a little aloof, watching curiously the acts
of their white companions.
"That's right, mate," replied Denham.--"Oh, well, if you like; jump
down, then. The boss wants a hole picked, I suppose, for you to break
up a bit of the floor here to see what it's like."
The keeper was handy enough with the fresh tool, and after picking out a
good many small pieces of what proved to be powdered granite,
consolidated probably by lime, or perhaps only by time itself, he called
for one of the stones that had been thrown out, laid it by the side of
the hole he had picked, and then thrusting down the iron bar and using
the stone as a fulcrum, he levered out a good-sized piece of the hard
cement.
"Throw it up here," cried the doctor, who caught it deftly and held it
in the sunshine, examining it carefully. "No," he said, in rather a
disappointed tone.
"Here's a bigger bit here, sir," said Bob, "as seems loose. Yes, out
you come!" And pressing his lever down hard, he brought up a great
flake of the flooring, nearly a foot long and some inches wide. This he
handed to Buck, who examined it casually as he bore it to the side of
the hole and handed it to the doctor.
"It's broken up granite, sir, for certain," he said, "and this other
side sparkles just like--"
He was going to say something, but the doctor excitedly, so to speak,
snatched the word from his lips.
"Yes," he cried--"gold!"
The two boys started forward excitedly.