do," whispered Bert to Nan.

"What?" she asked.

"Smoke cigarettes. I saw Danny have a pack."

Nan was much shocked, but she did not see anything. She was glad Bert
did not smoke.

Bert went off with some boys to see if they could catch any fish in the
deeper part of the brook, about half a mile from the picnic grove, and
Nan, with one or two girls about her own age, took a little walk with
Flossie and Freddie to gather some late wild flowers that grew on the
side of one of the hills.

They found a number of the blossoms, and were making pretty bouquets of
them, when Freddie, who had gone on a little ahead of the rest, came
running back so fast that he nearly rolled to the bottom of the hill,
so fat and chubby was he.

"What's the matter? What is it?" asked Nan, catching her brother just
in time.

"Up there!" he gasped. "It's up there! A great big black one!"

"A big black what--bug?" asked Nan, ready to laugh.

"No! a big black snake! I almost stepped on it."

"A snake! Oh, dear!" screamed the girls.

"Call Mr. Tetlow!" said Flossie. "He's got a book about snakes, and
he'll know what to do."

"Come on!" cried Nellie Parks. "I'm going to run!"

"So am I!" added Grace Lavine. "Oh, it may chase us!"

In fright the children turned, Freddie looking back at the spot where
he thought he had seen the snake.

CHAPTER XI

DANNY'S TRICK

NAN BOBBSEY stood for a moment, she hardly knew why. Perhaps she
wanted to see the big snake of which Freddie spoke. It certainly was
not because she liked reptiles.

Then she thought she saw something long and black wiggling toward her,
and, with a little exclamation of fright, she, too, turned to follow
the others. But, as she did so, she saw their dog Snap come running up
the hill, barking and wagging his tail. He seemed to have lost the
children for a moment and to be telling them how glad he was that he
had found them again.

Straight up the hill, toward where Freddie had said the snake was,
rushed Snap.

"Here! Come back! Don't go there!" cried Nan.

"No, don't let him--he may be bitten!" added Flossie. "Come here,
Snap!"

But Snap evidently did not want to mind. On up the hill he rushed,
pausing now and then to dig in the earth. Nearer and nearer he came to
where the little Bobbsey boy had said the snake was hiding in the grass
and bushes.

"Oh, Snap! Snap!" cried Freddie. "Don't go there!" But Snap kept on,
and Freddie, afraid les