*

They lay in a small hollow, watching the activity of the camp. The
peons were in their pen, and it was evident that they were being
watched by the owners of the camp.

As purple twilight fell across the strange land, the two tramps began
to notice the dull sounds which came to their ears from time to time.

"That's funny thunder," said Maget nervously. "If I didn't know it was
thunder, I'd swear some big frogs were around here."

"Oh, hell. Maybe it's an earthquake," said Durkin irritatedly. "For
God's sake, quit your bellyachin'. You've done nothin' but whine ever
since we left Juan."

"Well, who could blame me--" began Maget. He broke off suddenly, the
pique in his voice turned to a quiver of fear, as he grasped Durkin's
arm. "Oh, look," he gasped.

Durkin, seeing his partner's eyes staring at a point directly behind
him, leaped up and scrambled away, thinking that a snake must be about
to strike him.

He turned round when he felt he was far enough away, and saw that the
ground was moving near the spot where he had been lying.

The earth was heaving, as though ploughed by a giant share; a blunt,
purplish head, which seemed too fearful to be really alive, showed
through the broken ground, and a worm began to draw its purple length
from the depths. It was no snake, but a gigantic angleworm, and as it
came forth, foot after foot, the two watched with glazed eyes.

Maget swallowed. "I've seen 'em two feet long," he said. "But never
like that."

Durkin, however, when he realized that the loathsome creature could
not see them and was creeping blindly towards them with its ugly, fat
body creasing and elongating, picked up rocks and began to destroy the
monstrous worm. He cursed as he worked.

Dull red blood spattered them, and a fetid odor from the gashes caused
them to retch, but they finally cut the thing in two, and then they
moved away from there.

* * * * *

The dull rumblings beneath them frightened Maget, and Durkin too,
though the latter tried to brazen it out.

"Come on, it's gettin' dark. We can take a look in their mine now."

Maget, whimpering, followed. The booming sounds were increasing.

But Durkin slipped down the hillside, and Maget followed into the
valley. They crept past the stone shack, which they noticed was
padlocked heavily.

Durkin stopped suddenly, and cursed. "I've cut my foot," he said.
"These damn shoes are gone, all right, from that mar