that the
path ahead of them lay clear. On both sides of this the undergrowth
baffled all scrutiny. He seemed to hear a small mysterious rustling
sound, but his most minute attention failed to locate it. The match
burned down to his fingers, and he tossed it away.

"There's nothing between us and the water," he said cheerily. "We'll
make a dash for it."

"Stay!" she whispered, under her breath. "I heard something!"

"It's only a bit of a breeze overhead," said Hone. "We won't stop to
listen anyway."

He caught her hand in his once more, grasping it firmly, and they moved
forward again. They could see the moonlight glimmering on the water
ahead, and in another yard or two the low-growing bush to which Hone had
moored the boat became visible.

In that instant, with a jerk of terror, Nina stopped short. "Pat! What
is that?"

Hone stood still. "There! Don't be scared!" he said soothingly. "What
would it be at all? There's nothing but shadow."

"But there is!" she gasped. "There is! There! On the bank above the
boat! What is it, Pat? What is it?"

Hone's eyes followed her quivering finger, discerning what appeared to
be a blot of shadow close to the bush above the water.

"Sure, it's only shadow--" he began.

But she broke in feverishly. "It's not, Pat! It's not! There's nothing
to cast it. It's in the full moonlight."

"You stay here!" said Hone. "I'll go and have a look."

"I won't!" she rejoined in a fierce whisper, holding him fast. "You--you
shan't go a step nearer. We must get away somehow--somehow!" with a
hunted glance around. "Not through the undergrowth, that's certain.
We--we shall have to go back."

Hone was still staring at the motionless blot in the moonlight. He
resisted her frantic efforts to drag him away.

"I must go and see," he said at last. "I'm sure there's nothing to alarm
us. We can't run away from shadows, Princess. We should never hold up
our heads again."

"Oh, Pat, you fool!" she exclaimed, almost beside herself. "I tell you
that is no shadow! It's a snake! Do you hear? It's a huge python! And it
was a snake I trod on just now. And they are everywhere--everywhere! The
whole place is rustling with them. They are closing in on us. I can hear
them! I can feel them! I can smell them! Pat, what shall we do? Quick,
quick! Think of something! See now! It's moving--uncoiling! Look, look!
Did you ever see anything so horrible? Pat!"

Her voice ended in a breathless shriek. She suddenly