up too and seized his spear, expecting to have to face the
blacks; but the enemy was a good-sized snake which had been nestling
beneath the thick stalks of the plants, and now stood up fully three
feet above the tops of the growth, with head drawn back, moving to and
fro as if about to launch itself forward and strike at the first who
approached it.

"Stand back, Mr Jack," cried the man, and with one mower-like sweep of
his spear-handle he caught the serpent a few inches below its
threatening head, and it dropped writhing at once, with its vertebras
broken.

"Can't stand any nonsense from things like that, sir," cried Ned, as he
took his spear now as if it had been a pitchfork, raised the twining
reptile from among the haulms, and after carrying it a few yards, threw
it cleverly right away among the bushes at the side.

"Take care, perhaps there are more," said Jack. "So much the worse for
them if there are, sir. I want the 'taters, and I'd have 'em if the
place was full of boa-constrictors as big as they grow. Come on."

In a very short time they had their pockets and handkerchiefs full, the
tubers coming out of the hot, dry, sandy soil perfectly clean; and thus
furnished, they made for a spot where the lava rock was piled up,
selected a niche, and scraped out a sandy hollow about a couple of feet
across, laid the potatoes down singly and close together, covered them
again with the sand, and then turned to the edge of the nearest patch of
trees to gather dead boughs, leaves, everything they could which seemed
likely to burn, and carried it to their improvised oven.

"Suppose the blacks see the smoke of the fire?" said Jack, as they piled
up the smaller twigs and leaves over the potatoes, and Ned brought out
his box of matches.

"I can't suppose anything, sir, only that we must eat. If they do come
on for a fair fight, I'm ready. Fight I will for these 'taters, come
what may."

The leaves and twigs caught readily, and the smoke began to curl up in
the clear sunny air, as bigger and bigger pieces of wood were thrown on.
Then as they went to the foot of the trees for more of that which lay
in abundance, they glanced in all directions, but all was silent and
solitary, with the beautifully-shaped mountain curving up above them,
and a faint mist as of heat just visible in transparent wreaths above
its summit.

"Don't let's take too much, Mr Jack--only a little at a time, so as to
have to come again and again."