uck directly inland, and after traversing the narrow bit of sand
reached the green-sward, the thick, luxuriant grass on which reached
almost up to their waists. The ground here was open, the clumps of
trees which they had noticed from the ship--and which now seemed to be
as it were the outposts of a dense forest--not approaching in this
particular spot nearer than about a quarter of a mile of the water. But
even here there was enough and more than enough to occupy their pleased
attention for the moment, the long grass being thickly interspersed with
flowering plants and shrubs, adorned with blossoms of most exquisite
form, hue, and fragrance. Sibylla, woman-like, must needs at once
proceed to gather a bouquet for herself, in which pleasing occupation
the next half-hour was spent. And here the pair were somewhat
startlingly reminded that there is no Eden without its serpent, for as
Sibylla stooped over a shrub loaded with magnificent white azalea-like
blooms, one or two of which she desired for the completion of her
bouquet, a sharp hissing sound was heard, and she started back with a
cry, just in time to avoid a vicious stroke from a small heart-shaped
head which suddenly upreared itself from among the leaves of the plant.
Ned, however, was close beside her, and whipping out his revolver he
fired, blowing the head of the snake clean off.

"Did the creature strike you?" demanded Ned anxiously.

"No," answered Sibylla; "I was so startled at its sudden appearance and
its malignant aspect that I darted back without giving it time to bite.
Do you think the creature was venomous?"

"We will soon see," answered Ned; and searching about in the long grass,
which he was careful to divide with the barrel of his carbine, he soon
found and held up to his companion's horrified view the severed head.

"Yes," he announced, "the brute was undoubtedly venomous. Note the
heart-like shape of the head, the heads of all venomous snakes are
shaped more or less like that. And see here," he added, compressing the
neck just behind the jaws in such a way as to force the mouth open, "do
you observe these two curved needle-like fangs, one on each side of the
upper jaw? Those are the poison fangs. And these swellings of the gums
at the base of the fangs are the poison bags. They become compressed
when the fangs strike into the flesh of a victim, and a drop or two of
the venom passes down through the fang, which is hollow, into the wound,