Page:Doughty--Mirrikh or A woman from Mars.djvu/48

 “Upon my word I'm sorry we ever ventured into this beastly hole,” grumbled Philpot, after we had advanced  about a mile or so. “A night spent here would bring us all down with jungle fever—heavens! look there!”

He pointed toward a huge atap palm just in advance of us, from which a thick, brown tendril, as I supposed it to be, for I had seen it before, hung dangling. But, now, as I looked again, I saw the supposed tendril suddenly elevate itself; saw a well defined head, a pair of wicked beady  eyes flash fire, and a forked tongue shoot out like lightning. It was a huge serpent, which in a moment more might have been twining its folds about the Doctor’s neck.

I started back in terror, but Maurice, always cool, raised his rifle and fired.

The snake drew back and disappeared among the palm leaves. Whether the shot took effect or not, I cannot say, for we did not pause to investigate.

“Now you see!” said the Doctor. “Pleasant prospect for the night if we should happen to miss our way. Once in India I spent three nights in the jungle. I tell you those nights will live in my memory until my dying day.”

“But we are not going to stay here all night,” answered Maurice.

Suddenly he paused. A puzzled expression passed over his face, for we had come to a division in the path.

“By Jove!” cried the Doctor. “What did I tell you?”

“We want to keep to the right,” I said emphatically, for I felt certain that I remembered the place.

“Are you sure?” asked Maurice.

“As certain as I can be.”

“We passed three such divisions coming down,” interposed the Doctor; “what do you go by? Is there any landmark that you particularly observed?”

I was obliged to confess that there was not, and yet I felt so positive of my position that I repeated my assertion with  some warmth.

“What do you say, Doctor?” asked Maurice. “Shall we venture?”

“Faith, my dear boy, we might as well try one road as the other,” he replied lightly, “but with all due deference to  Brother Wylde, I doubt if he knows any more about it than we do.”

“Very well; I am quite willing to yield my opinion,” said