While Fenn made another fire on the hearth, Hector lay down on the bed, for he was very tired. Putting his hands behind his head, he must have dozed off, for he was roused by feeling something cold near his neck. During his short experience of the back country he had learnt many things, this amongst others, and now it saved his life: never to jump up quickly when wakened up by something unexpected. It might be blacks who would hit him on the head if he popped it up suddenly; it might be a horse or a camel that would kick him if he startled it by a sudden movement; or it might be a more deadly thing yet, as it was in this case.
Hector lay still. Every muscle was tense and ready for instant action, but he did not so much as quiver. The cold thing moved round his neck, and he felt it slide down the far side of him and nestle there. It was so cold that it felt wet. As a matter of fact, the lad"s body was wet with cold perspiration, which broke out all over him because of the terrible strain he was under. The thing was still now, enjoying the warmth of Hector"s body.
Steadying himself to keep back the wish to scream, hecalled softly to his father.
"What is it?" asked Fenn, looking up from putting woodon the fire.
"There"s a snake on the far side of me, father.""A what?"
"A snake. He went round my neck and is coiled up now just below my chest.""Did he bite you?" Fenn"s voice was hoarse with anxiety. "No, father . . . not . . . yet." The lad"s voice broke, but heregained control of himself immediately. "What shall I do?"For a full minute Fenn did not answer. This was as terrible a danger as had yet faced the lad, more terrible in fact because it was more difficult to face. There was so little that could be done and even that little was very risky. The snake had evidently been in the mattress, and had come out because of the warmth of Hector"s body. The slightest movement and it would strike-and how could he be saved from death in that far-away spot without any appliances or drugs! It was a cold-blooded peril. In all the other adventures which they had encountered, the danger had been fierce and hot-blooded, or at least they had been able to meet it with courageous action; but to lie still and not know at what moment death-dealing fangs would prick poison and turn a healthy body into a corpse was too awful to contemplate. Fenn covered his eyes with his hands andwas silent for a full minute. He realized more than ever how inexpressibly dear this lad was to him, this son of his, this tested, manly mate of his. But his hesitation soon passed. He gave his son directions in a calm, matter-of-fact voice.
"Don"t move till I give the word, Hector," he said. "Tell me again where the snake is. Tell me as exactly as you can. Speak quietly. You"ll be all right if you don"t disturb it."Hector told him exactly where the snake was nestling. "Ithasn"t moved since I called you first," he added.
"Good," said Fenn, picking up a stick. "Now I"m going to count three. When I say three, I"m going to bring this stick down on the bed as hard as I can, so you must roll over on to the floor. Don"t stir till you hear me start to say the word and then leap-leap for your life," he concluded earnestly.
"All right, father," replied the lad bravely.
"Now I"m going to begin. One."
Hector lay apparently as he had been for the last few minutes, but every nerve was keyed up ready to obey the summons of the brain instantly.
" Two."
His teeth gripped hard on one another and he held his breath.
Before the word was out, he leapt. His muscles were like high-tension steel springs at full compression, and they responded in a flash. He landed half-way across the hut.
Fenn"s stick came down. It missed, for he had not seen the snake. The reptile rose to strike, but a second blow caught it behind the head and broke its neck, and it lay on the wallaby-hide, a writhing mass of coiling scales.
From The Golden Valley, by Conrad Sayce
Author.-Conrad Harvey Sayce, a Melbourne architect born in England, has written several books dealing with Central Australia- Golden Buckles, In the Musgrave Ranges, The Golden Valley, The Valley of a Thousand Deaths, and The Splendid Savage. All but the first are adventure books for boys.
General Notes.-This is the story of two brave people who were afraid, but overcame their fear. Where did the supposed incident occur? Tell the story orally in your own words. Write another snake story from memory or from imagination.