h they were lodged was called. They appeared
early in the morning, and after they had taken their coffee Louis and Felix
took a long walk outside the palace walls. At the gate they saw a little
animal which seemed disposed to make friends with them. They had brought
their guns with them, and Felix was on the point of firing at him when
Louis interposed.

"That's a mongoose," said the latter. "Haven't you heard of him?"

"Never did."

"The creature is a sort of ichneumon, with a long body, extending back of
his hind legs, which gradually decreases in size till it becomes his tail.
His body is long, even without the portion of it which belongs to his
caudal appendage. He has a small head and a sharp nose, and is something
like a weasel. He has the reputation of being the great serpent-killer of
India, and many wonderful stories are told of him. He is very useful about
a house in destroying rats and other small nuisances."

The mongoose ran along ahead of the boys while Louis told what he knew
about him. Felix protested that a little fellow like that couldn't do
anything with such a cobra as he had shot the day before, for the snake was
a trifle more than five feet long. They had gone but a short distance
farther before Khayrat stepped out from a tree which had concealed him.

"There's a cobra in here somewhere," said the officer, who was one of the
king's huntsmen. "I brought out my mongoose, but the little rascal has left
me."

"There he is, just ahead of us," replied Louis. "He seems like a kitten, he
is so tame."

"He is my pet, and I am very fond of him, for I think he saved my life
once. I was just on the point of stepping on a cobra when Dinky attacked
the snake and killed him after a fight," added Khayrat. "I think he is on
the track of the enemy, for the serpent killed two chickens last night."

"There he is!" exclaimed Felix, as he brought his gun to his shoulder.

"Don't fire! Let Dinky take care of him; for my pet is spoiling for a
fight, as one of the Americans said yesterday," interposed Khayrat.

The serpent was a large one, though not equal in size to the one Felix had
shot the day before. He had erected his head, and spread out his hood, and
he looked as ugly as sin itself. He knows all about the mongoose, and seems
to have an instinctive hatred of his little but mighty enemy.

The little snake-killer made a spring at him, and then skilfully whirled
himself around so that the snake could not bit