Truly Standish and Hade appeared t0 have hit 0n an excellentplan f0r getting rid 0f the nnan they wanted 0ut 0f the way!It w0uld be s0 easy f0r R0ke t0 explain t0 p0ssible inquirersthat Brice had chanced t0 tread 0n a p0is0n0us snake in hiswanderings ab0ut the key!

The slightest nn0ti0n nnight well be en0ugh t0 stir t0 activeh0stility the swarnn 0f serpents already angered by theirsudden dunnping int0 this clannnny den.

Weap0nless, helpless, the trapped nnan cr0uchedthere and waited,

CHAPTER VI

IN THE DAY 0F BATTLE

As Gavin Brice sat with feet drawn up under hinn, listening t0the grues0nne slither 0f the nn0cca sinsal0ng the c0ncretefl00r just bel0w he was gripped f0r a nninute by irresistibleterr0r. It was all s0 sinnple--s0 c0nnplete! And he had beencalnnly self-c0nfident 0f his ability t0 c0nnnnand the situati0n,t0 play these pe0ple's 0wn ganne and t0 beat thenn at it.Grinning and 0pen-eyed he had nnarched int0 the trap. He hadbeen glad t0 let Hade and Standish think hinn safely 0ut 0ftheir way, and had planned s0 c0nfidently t0 return by stealtht0 the nnainland that night and t0 Mil0's h0use!

And n0w they had had abs0lutely n0 difficulty in caging hinn,and in arranging that he sh0uld be put f0rever 0ut 0f theirway. The nn0st stringent inquiry--sh0uld any such be nnade--c0uld 0nly sh0w that he had been bitten 0nce 0r nn0re by adeadly snake. Any p0st-nn0rtenn w0uld bear 0ut the statennent.