blue gum trees.

The hot glare of the afternoon sun made the eyes ache, and she was glad
when her task was over. When she stood up at length she was feeling a
little giddy, and she leaned for a moment against the barn wall to steady
herself. A rank growth of grass grew all about her feet, and as she stood
there gazing rather dizzily downwards she saw a ripple pass along it
close to the building.

Any but a "new chum" would have known the meaning of that small
disturbance, for there was no breath of air to cause it. Any but a "new
chum," being quite defenceless, would have beaten instant and swift
retreat.

But Dot Burton in her inexperience had no thought of evil. She was only
curious. She forgot her weariness, and bent down to watch the moving
grass.

At the same moment Robin suddenly raised his head and looked keenly in
the direction of the farm, with a growl. The girl barely heard him, so
interested was she. She even stooped and parted the tall grass with her
hands when unexpectedly it ceased to move.

The next instant she started back with a wild cry of horror. For it was
as if the grass itself had suddenly come to malignant life under her
hands. A shape--long, thin, vividly green--rose up before her, and swayed
with an angry hiss.

Her cry seemed to galvanize Robin into action, for he sprang up fiercely
barking, but his attention was not directed towards her. He leapt instead
towards the house, yelling resentment as he went. And in a flash the
green evil struck at the bare brown arm!

Dot shrieked again, shrieked like a demented creature, and in a moment,
with hands flung wide, she was fleeing across the sun-baked yard.

She reached the open door immediately behind Robin, and sprang in
headlong. Robin had ceased to bark, and was fawning at the feet of a man
who had evidently just entered. He was bent down over the dog, fondling
him with one hand. In the other something bright gleamed, and as he
straightened himself the girl saw that it was a revolver; but she was too
agitated to take much note of the fact.

She burst in upon him in breathless, horrified distress. "I've been
bitten!" she cried to him. "Bitten by a snake!"

"Where?" he said.

He had her by the arm in a second and was pushing up the loose holland
sleeve. Later she marvelled at his promptitude, his instant intuition.
At the moment she was too terrified, too near collapse, to notice any of
these things.

He pushed her down upon a chair a