he girls hesitated, she came up to them
with a really sweet look on her face.

"Don't hurry away, girls! You don't know how good it seems to see you
again. I have been almost homesick ever since we landed. You know the
Windemeres have gone on, but I found Mr. Campbell here waiting for me.
We--"

She was interrupted by a coarse laugh, and her husband appeared,
ascending the steps. Turning to him, she said in a dignified tone,

"Rufus, these are Captain Hosmer and his daughters, of the
'International.' I want you to meet them, then we will try and
persuade them to eat tiffin with us, provided we can think of eating
after such an adventure!"

As she spoke he came fully into view, and suddenly flirted out one hand
from behind his coat, paying no heed to her remark. To her horror, she
saw it was the dead snake he was thus playing with, and, knowing him of
old, she turned pale.

"Rufus!" she cried warningly, backing up a step.

He gave a tantalizing laugh, and gave the repulsive thing another
flirt, which brought it near her face. With a shriek of dismay she
broke into a run, feeling, as she did so, that she had made a great
mistake. He started after her, every step taking them further from the
group, where she might have had protection from his vicious teasing.

"Stop!" thundered the captain, seeing the woman's wild face, "Stop, or
you'll do her a mischief," but, laughing so loudly that he could hear
nothing else, the brute kept on.

Mrs. Campbell, wildly excited, could not keep up this pace long, and as
she faltered, in hopes to dodge and turn back, he drew nearer and gave
the snake a fling. It whizzed about her head, and she gave an awful
shriek of horror as she felt its slimy folds about her neck. It was
too much! Never a strong woman, and morbidly afraid of these cobras,
living or dead, she sank down in a faint, just before her amazed
husband, who nearly stumbled over her inert body.

"Bless us! If she hasn't fainted," he muttered stupidly, as he bent
over her, too muddled to understand all he had done.

The captain reached them before he had done more than stupidly gaze at
her, and unceremoniously flinging him one side, said, "Give her air,
you brute! It's lucky for you if you haven't killed her!"

He laid her back on the grass, flinging the snake far away, and the
excited women gathered around. Just at this instant the launch sounded
its summons for departure, and Captain Hosmer knew, if he w