a moment, and he shivered as he thought of the consequences
of opening his hand. He saw, in imagination, the serpent clinging
tightly with its body and striking him with its fangs over and over
again.

But had it not already bitten him on the hand as he held that vicious
head within his palm.

That he could not tell, only that he could feel the rough head of the
hideous creature, and the scales pressing into his wrist. But the
probability was that the creature had not bitten him, though it was
heaving and straining with all its force, which, like that of all these
creatures, is remarkably great for their size.

Once, as he stood there staring wildly, a peculiar swimming sensation
came over him, and he felt as if he must fall; but if he did, it
occurred to him that he must be at the mercy of this horrible beast, and
by an effort he mastered the giddiness and stood firm.

How long he stood there he could not tell, only that the horror of being
poisoned by the reptile seemed more than he could bear, especially now
that life was beginning to open out with a new interest for him, and the
world, instead of being embraced by the dull walls of a sick-chamber,
was hourly growing more beautiful and vast.

All at once he started as it were from a dream, in which before his
misty eyes the hideous little serpent was assuming vast proportions, and
gradually forcing open his hand by the expansion of what seemed to be
growing into a huge head. For from just behind him there was a hoarse
cry, and then a rush of feet, and he found himself surrounded by the
professor, Mr Burne, Yussuf, and the Turk at whose house they stayed.

"Good heavens, Lawrence! what are you doing?" cried the professor.

"Hush! don't speak to him," cried Yussuf in a voice full of authority.
"Let me."

As he spoke he drew his knife from his girdle. "Lawrence effendi," he
said quickly, "has it bitten you?"

The lad looked at him wildly, and his voice was a mere whisper as he
faltered:

"I do not know."

"Tell me," cried Yussuf, "have you tight hold of it by the head?"

There was a pause, and Lawrence's eyes seemed fixed and staring, but at
last he spoke.

"Yes."

Only that word; and as the others looked on, Yussuf caught Lawrence's
right hand in his left, and compressed it more tightly on the asp's
head.

"There, effendi," he said as he stood ready with his keen bare knife in
his right hand, "the serpent is harmless now. Take hold of it by th