k. There was a certain
fetid odor about it but she thought nothing of it until Helen, who was
about to sit down beside her, screamed.

Without thinking and so swiftly it must have been a reflex action, she
hurled herself away from the rock.

She dropped in a twisting, rolling fall and as she turned she glimpsed a
venomous head with lashing fangs which flashed out once from the rock
and then disappeared.

Chapter Six

THE SMOKY MENACE

Janet fell heavily, turning over several times before she finally came
to rest against a clump of dry brush.

Helen was at her side almost instantly, her face drawn and tense.

"Did it strike you?" she asked, deep anxiety marking her words.

Janet, still dazed by the shock of hurling herself to the ground, looked
up and managed a wan smile. She shook her head and with Helen giving her
a hand, got to her feet.

"No, I'm all right. Just scared a little. It was so sudden."

"The snake was coiled up on the back of the rock. I saw it just as you
sat down. For a second I was speechless; then I seemed to explode into a
scream," explained Helen.

"It's a good thing for me that you did," said Janet. "I don't think the
snake missed it more than inches. We'd better get some stout clubs if
we're going to do any more climbing around these rocks."

"One thing, we're not going to sit down on any of them," declared Helen,
who was watching the pile of rocks with open suspicion. There was still
that fetid smell in the air, but no sign of any snakes.

They looked about for sticks which could be used for clubs and Helen
found several sizeable sticks which would serve that purpose.

The incident had unnerved them more than they cared to confess and they
sat down to rest on the sandy soil, taking care that nothing was near
them which would conceal a snake.

The afternoon deepened and the sun was about to sink over the western
hills when they roused themselves and started on toward the summit of
the promontory they had been climbing.

Janet stopped and sniffed the air. The odor of smoke seemed stronger
now, yet there was no visible sign of it.

Helen also smelled it, for the wind, if anything, was sharper now.

"If there's a fire burning somewhere near here, it might be bad for us,"
she said. "This dry grass and underbrush would burn like tinder."

"That's what Curt fears," added Janet.

They stopped to rest once more before they started the final ascent to
the rocky outcropping