od there expecting
momentarily to feel the deadly fangs dart into his body and leave their
fatal poison.

He protests that so fascinated was he by the awful horror of the
situation that he can describe accurately every marking and every detail
of the great snake as it lay there coiled for the blow that would prove
fatal to himself.

Almost fainting, Harry heard the two shots that caused the snake to
momentarily lower its head and cease its buzzing rattles from sounding.

Hope rose within his breast as he noted this action, yet he could not
move from the spot. His feet seemed leaden.

The next instant the snake again raised its head and the second shot
fired by Arnold seemed to increase its anger for it recommenced with
more vigor than before the sharp buzzing of its rattles. In desperation,
Arnold emptied his automatic into the ground at his feet, but without
effect upon the snake.

A rifle shot echoed through the forest. The rattler lunged forward.

CHAPTER XIII

A FRUITLESS SEARCH

"Surely that can't be Wyckoff," declared Tom. "He wouldn't be around
here at this time of day. Couldn't you be mistaken?"

"I don't think so," stoutly protested Jack. "He seemed to be poking his
head around the corner of that shed and when he saw I noticed him, he
dodged back. I am quite sure it was he."

"Well, I think he has his nerve to be sneaking around the yard at this
hour. Why can't he go on about his business instead of hounding us all
the time, I'd like to know," indignantly stormed Frank. "He's about the
poorest specimen of humanity I know."

"He thinks he's well within his rights," argued Jack. "I don't like him,
but I must admire his 'stick-to-itiveness.'"

"Whatever that is," put in Tom. "If he'd stick to it and dig up his
good-for-nothing old treasure chest himself instead of barking at the
moon, we'd all be better off. But here we are at the good old Fortuna.
My, my, how she looms up out of the water."

"She certainly does look big when one can get a view of the hull below
the water line," agreed Jack, with a note of pride.

For some time the boys walked around the vessel, noting her fine lines
and examining the hull for possible defects. They found nothing that
they considered worthy of repair except the hole through which their
plug projected. Jack examined with minute care the outboard end of the
shaft log and the propeller.

"Here comes the watchman," announced Frank as the boys paused at t