Part 9 (1/2)

”Yes; can't you see Pan does not hunt about?”

”What is it?” asked Mark in an undertone, grasping his spear tightly.

”There are no mummies here?”

”No,” said Bevis. ”It's the serpent, you know; he's a hundred feet long; he's come over from the Unknown Island, and he's waiting in these sedges somewhere to catch something; the birds are afraid to sing.”

”Could he swallow a man?” said Mark.

”Swallow a man,” with curling lip. ”Swallow a buffalo easily.”

”Hus.h.!.+ what's that?” A puff of wind rustled the gra.s.ses.

”It's the snake,” said Mark, and off he tore. Bevis close behind him, Pan at his heels. In this wild panic they dashed quickly through the gra.s.ses, which just before had been so wearisome an obstacle. But the heat pulled them up in ten minutes, panting.

”Did you see him?” said Bevis.

”Just a little bit of him--I think,” said Mark.

”We've left him behind.”

”He'll find us by our track.”

”Let's tie Pan up, and let him swallow Pan.”

”Where's a rope? Have you any string? Give me your handkerchief.”

They were hastily tying their handkerchiefs together, when Mark, looking round to see if the monstrous serpent was approaching, shouted,--

”There's a tree!”

There was a large hollow willow or pollard in the hedge. They rushed to it, they clasped it as s.h.i.+pwrecked men a beam. Mark was first, he got inside on the ”touchwood,” and scrambled up a little way, then he worked up, his back against one side, and his knees the other. Bevis got underneath, and ”bunted” him up. Bunting is shoving with shoulder or hands. There were brambles on the top; Mark crushed through, and in a minute was firmly planted on the top.

”Give me my spear, and your bow, and your hand,” he said breathlessly.

The spear and the bow were pa.s.sed up: Bevis followed, taking Mark's hand just at the last. Mark put the point of his spear downwards to stab the monster. Bevis fitted an arrow to his bow. Pan looked up, but could not climb. They watched the long gra.s.ses narrowly, expecting to see them wave from side to side every instant, as the python wound his sinuous way. There was a rustling beneath, but on the other side of the hedge. Bevis looked and saw Pan, who had crept through.

”What are you going to do?” said Mark, as Bevis slung his bow on his shoulder as if it was a rifle, and began to move out on the hollow top of the tree, which as it became hollow had split, and partly arched over. Bevis did not answer: he crept cautiously out on the top which vibrated under him; then suddenly seizing a lissom bough, he slipped off and let himself down. He was inside the hedge that had so long baffled them. Mark saw in an instant, darted his spear down and followed. So soon as he touched ground, off they set running. There were no sedges here, nothing but short gra.s.ses and such herbage as grows under the perpetual shade of ash-poles, and they could run easily. The ease of motion was, in itself, a relief, after the struggle in the reed-gra.s.s.

When they had raced some distance, and felt safe, they stopped.

”Why, this is a wood!” said Mark, looking round. Ash-stoles and poles surrounded them on every side.

”So it is,” said Bevis. ”No, it's a jungle.”

They walked forward and came to an open s.p.a.ce, round about a broad spreading oak.

”I shall sit down here,” said Bevis.

But as they were about to sit down, Pan, who had woke up when he scented rabbits, suddenly disappeared in a hollow.

”What's that,” said Mark. He went to see, and heard a sound of lapping.