was not great, but the boys stepped back at
once to the windows they had left, to see that the burning heap was well
alight, but apparently all in motion, while the carpenter was standing
near, half-hidden by smoke, pressing the end of the joist he had used
down upon a writhing serpent which he was holding pinned against the
earth in the middle of the flames.

"Take care! Take care!" cried Poole. "It'll be furious if it gets from
underneath that piece of wood."

"He'd be clever if he did, sir. I got him too tight. It's all right,
and I am making use of him at the same time."

"Nonsense! Come out, man; you will have the place on fire directly."

"Oh, no, I shan't, sir. Don't you see, I am letting him whack and
scatter it all out. There won't be enough to do any mischief now.--Hah!
He's quieting down; and he's the last on 'em. If there were any others
they are smoked out."

As he spoke the lads could plainly see that the reptile's efforts to
escape were growing weaker, while the rest of the party, who had been
busy at the other end of the hacienda, had collected at window and door,
attracted by the rising smoke.

"Just in time, mates! About another two minutes and he'll be done. Now
then," the speaker added, "I don't want to spoil him," and raking out
the heaving reptile, he forked it to the door and tossed it a few yards
away into the clearing. "All together!" he shouted. "Fair play!
Knives out. Who's for a cut of hot roast?"

Chips's pantomime was at an end, for, rifle in hand, the skipper came
running up.

"What's the meaning of this?" he roared. "Why don't you put that fire
out? Do you want to burn the place down? Who's been smoking here?"

"It's all right, father. There were snakes under the floor, but Chips
has burned them out."

"Oh, that's it! Dangerous brutes! Here, Winks, how have you been
getting on?"

"Oh, tidy, sir, tidy," said the carpenter, wiping his smarting eyes as
he tried to check a cough and made it worse. "You see, there was no
stuff, and I had to tear up the floor."

"Capital," said the skipper, as he examined the preparations. "Couldn't
be better, my man. Here, if there's time you shall serve those other
two rooms the same. Axes here, my lads. Cut down those bushes and pile
them up under the windows. We mustn't leave them there for cover."

"Take care," cried Fitz. "There's a great snake in there. Here, Poole,
let's each take a joist and beat him out."