Part 11 (1/2)

They started to move to one side. But Tom was curious, and chancing to see a stone among some bushes, hurled it at the object, hitting it directly in the center.

Up came an ugly-looking head, the object whipped around swiftly, and the next instant the boys found themselves confronted by a swamp snake all of six feet long and as thick as a man's wrist!

”Mine cracious!” burst from Hans' lips. ”It vos a snake annahow! Look out! he vill eat us up alife!”

”We must get out of here!” cried Sam. ”Oh, Tom, why didn't you leave it alone?”

”I didn't really think it was a snake,” answered the fun-loving Rover.

”Somebody shoot it!”

Queer as it was, n.o.body had thought to use his pistol, but as Tom spoke d.i.c.k pointed his weapon at the snake, that was crawling rapidly over the tree roots towards them. The puff of smoke was followed by a writhing of the reptile, and they saw that it had been hit although not fatally wounded.

”Wait, I'll give him another shot!” cried Sam, who now had his pistol out, and as the head of the snake came up over a tree root, the youngest Rover fired point-blank. His aim was true, and the head of the snake went down, and the body whirled this way and that in its death agonies.

”Is he--he dead?” faltered Tom.

”Next door to it,” answered Harold Bird. ”That last shot took him directly in the throat. I do not think he will bother us any more.”

They saw the body of the snake sink down in the water beneath the upper roots of the tree, and then continued to retreat, making their way to what looked like safer ground. They were now completely turned around, with only the sun to guide them in their course.

”This is no joke,” said d.i.c.k, gazing around in perplexity. ”If we are not careful we'll become hopelessly lost.”

”I think somebody had better climb a tree and look around,” said Tom.

”I'll go up if somebody will boost me.”

The others were willing, and soon the fun-loving youth was climbing a tall tree which stood somewhat apart from the others. He went up in rapid fas.h.i.+on and before long was close to the top.

”Can you see anything?” called up Sam, after what seemed to be a long pause.

”h.e.l.lo!” cried Tom. ”Why, there is the small lake and, yes, the launch is moving from the sh.o.r.e.”

”The launch?” e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed Harold Bird. ”Do you mean my gasoline launch?”

”It must be yours--or some craft very much like it,” answered Tom.

”There, it is out of sight now behind the trees.”

Tom waited for fully a minute, but the launch did not reappear.

”Who was on board?” questioned d.i.c.k, as his brother came down.

”I couldn't make out.”

”Which is the way to the spot where we tied up?” asked the young Southerner, impatiently. ”We must investigate this without delay.”

”Over that way,” answered Tom, pointing the direction out with his hand. ”Come, I think I saw a good way to go.”

Then all of the party struck out to reach the landing-place without delay. They felt that something unusual had occurred, but what, they could not surmise.

CHAPTER IX