d and quivering
for the spring, lifted its head. Even Quest seemed for the moment
nerveless. Then from the doorway came the sharp report of a revolver, and
the snake fell, a limp, inert thing. They all looked at the Professor as
though fascinated. He came a step farther into the tent, the revolver
still smoking in his hand. Standing over the snake, he deliberately fired
again and again into the body.

"I think," he remarked, in his usual calm tones, "that we may consider the
creature now beyond any power of doing harm. You will be interested to
hear," he continued, bending over the remains of the creature, "that this
is an exceedingly rare species, a sort of second cousin to the rattlesnake
found only in this part of the world and fatally poisonous."

"But how could it have got there?" Lenora faltered.

The Professor shook his head gravely.

"I am afraid," he said, "that there can be no doubt about that. I saw the
Chinaman whom Laura is so fond of sneaking away from this tent a few
minutes ago, and I suspected some devilry. That is why I went and fetched
my revolver."

There was a roar of anger from French. He snatched the weapon from the
Professor's hand.

"I'll kill that yellow dog!" he shouted. "Where is he?"

He dashed across the open space towards the camp wagon. His teeth were
set, and there was murder in his blazing eyes.

"Where's that Chinaman?" he yelled at the top of his voice.

The cowboys struggled to their feet. The Chinaman, who was sitting inside
the cook wagon, poring over a book by the light of a lantern, recognised
the note of fury in French's tone and raised his head, startled. A
paroxysm of fear seized him. The very moment that French threw open the
door of the wagon, he kicked the lantern across the floor and plunged at
the canvas sides of the vehicle, slipping underneath until he reached the
ground. French, left in darkness, groped around for a moment and then
emerged. The cowboys had gathered together outside.

"Say, Mr. Inspector French," one of them demanded, "what's wrong with John
Chinaman? You folks seem to have a sort of grudge against our cooks.
What's the Oriental been doing, eh?"

"Tried to commit a filthy murder," French shouted. "Brought a snake and
put it into the bed of one of the young women."

They hesitated no longer.

"Come on, boys," one of them cried. "We'll have to see this matter
through."

They found the spot where the Chinaman had escaped from the wagon, bu