e cobra worked itself on and on, but Jack saw it
not. His eyes were strained into the outer darkness. What had it
meant, that face? Was it a mere fancy, or was there more behind it
than he dreamed of? Then, with another great start of his frenzied,
overwrought body, he saw something else, a thing which none saw save
himself, for every eye was fixed on the deadly, wriggling serpent,
fighting to get his venomous fangs into that smooth white breast.

There slipped into the light of the fire a little round gleaming tube
of steel. Six inches beyond the doorway was it thrust, then held still
and steady. Jack knew it for the muzzle of a Mannlicher, and realised
with a swelling heart what it meant. He turned his eyes on the dark
face of the Ruby King, who, with an air of infinite enjoyment, was
giving the writhing reptile a little and a little more liberty, and
Jack knew that U Saw was a dead man.

A moment later the rifle spoke. There was a sharp jet of flame, a
crack, and a scream. The three were practically simultaneous, and the
scream rose from the wildly-parted lips of the Ruby King as he whirled
round and staggered against Saya Chone, a slip of lead driven through
his brain.

The fate of the half-caste was striking and dreadful. The
mortally-smitten man flung out his right arm, and the cobra was swung
full against the man who stood beside him, and, at the same instant,
the Ruby King's grasp was loosened. Here was the chance for which the
creature, irritated to the utmost fury, had longed. It struck, struck
with all its might, and drove its deadly fangs deep into the throat of
the half-caste.

The latter staggered back with a frightful yell, and tore the horrible
reptile from its grip, and cast it away. But the work was done, and
the full-filled poison sacs had emptied their store of venom into the
blood of Saya Chone.

All this happened in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye; and
before a hand could be lifted among the retainers, a whirling
hurricane of lead smote with crushing fury among the close-packed
group of Kachins which had been clustered behind the leaders. A stream
of bullets was poured into them as swiftly as magazines could be
worked, and half their number went down headlong. None of the rest
stayed to face this awful and mysterious foe. To them it seemed as if
evil spirits must be encompassing their destruction, and they fled
from this dreadful attack, which leapt upon them so suddenly from the
dark