blush for a snake.

But now Gwendolyn guessed the reason for the other's sudden display of
affection. For that scaly head was rising out of the grass, inch by
inch, and those glittering serpent eyes were fixed upon the Bird!

Unable to move, he watched her, plumage on end, round eyes fairly
starting.

"_Cheep! Cheep!_"

At his cry of terror, the Doctor interposed. "I think we'd better take
the Bird out of here," he said. "The less noise the better." And with
that, he lifted the small frightened thing from Gwendolyn's finger.

Miss Royle, quite thrown off her poise, sank hissing to the ground. "My
neuralgia's worse than ever this evening," she complained, affecting not
to notice his interference.

"Huh!" he grunted. "Keep away from bargain counters."

The Piper came jangling up. "That snake belongs in her case," he
declared, addressing the Doctor.

More than once Gwendolyn had wondered why the Piper had burdened
himself--to all appearances uselessly and foolishly--with the various
pieces of lead pipe. But now what wily forethought she granted him. For
with a few quick flourishes of the wrench, she saw him join them, end to
end, to form one length. This he threw to the ground, after which he
gave a short, sharp whistle.

In answer to it, the Bird fluttered down, and entered one end of the
pipe, giving, as he disappeared from sight, one faint cheep.

Miss Royle heard. Her scaly head glittered up once more. Her beady eyes
shone. Her tongue darted hate. Then little by little, that long black
body began to move--toward the pipe!

A moment, and she entered it; another, and the last foot of rustling
serpent had disappeared. Then out of the farther end of the pipe bounced
the Bird. Whereat the Piper sprang to the Bird's side, produced a nut,
and screwed it on the pipe-end.

"How's that!" he cried triumphantly.

The pipe rolled partly over. A muffled voice came from it, railing at
him: "Be careful what you do, young man! _I_ saw you had that bonnet of
mine!"

"Oh, can a snake crawl backwards?" demanded Gwendolyn, excitedly.

The Piper answered with a harsh laugh. And scrambling the length of the
lead pipe, fell to hammering in a plug.

Miss Royle was a prisoner!

The Bird bounced very high. "That's a feather in _your_ cap," he
declared joyously, advancing to the Piper. And suiting the action to the
word, pulled a tiny plume from his own wing, fluttered up, and thrust it
under the band of the other's greasy h