oesn't quite feel like that," said Chris thoughtfully. "If that
had been meant, why wasn't there a sort of soft roll of something at the
head end? I say, father, there is something like a roll."

"Draw it out then, my boy," was the reply.

"It won't come," said Chris. "We shall have to slit the skin here."

"Nay, skin it out as if it were a bit of the rattler's body left in.
Pull the mouth open over the neck. No, no; not like that. Draw it open
a bit. That's the way. Now you'll do it, my lad."

Chris jumped at the American's hints, and acting upon them, found that
the task was comparatively easy, and in a few minutes a little roll of
soft cream-coloured leather, about an inch in diameter and eight or nine
long, carefully wound round with what looked like fine twine, but proved
to be a remarkably fine kind of animal integument, lay upon the table.

"Leather of some kind--I mean, soft skin," said Griggs, bending over the
little roll as it lay before them. "Say, doctor, I'm beginning to think
you've got the bearings after all. You must use your knife this time."

"Yes," said the doctor, taking out a many-bladed knife, and then pausing
to pass the object round before going farther.

But the roll was returned to him quickly in the impatience felt by all
to see whether it should prove to be a scroll containing valuable
information, and the doctor inserted the point of his knife beneath the
thin twine-like bond. There was a sharp sound as it was divided, and
upon being unwound there before the party lay the edge of a roll of very
thin, carefully smoothed, yellowish skin, looking like badly-prepared
vellum, only feeling far more soft.

"A map, or writing," said Wilton hoarsely.

"A map, I'm sure," said Bourne.

"That's about it, sir," cried Griggs. "Say, neighbour, you've made a
find, and the old man wasn't so mad as he looked."

"So it seems," said the doctor, rather breathless in spite of his calm
self-contained nature, accustomed to crises.

"Are we on the brink of a great discovery?" said Wilton. "If so, how
does the matter stand?"

"It's the doctor's find," cried Griggs, and the two boys began to
breathe audibly as they rested their chins in their hands and seemed to
devour the little leather scroll.

"No; you brought the poor fellow here."

"Tchah! What's the good of fighting about what we haven't got?" said
Griggs, laughing. "What do you say to whacks?"

"What!" cried Bourne.

"Share and