-a species of black adder, known in
the country as the Mynga Worm--whose bite is more deadly than that of
the rattler or the copperhead, and as rapid in its action as prussic
acid itself. It has, too, a great velocity of movement and a peculiar
power of springing and hurling itself upon its prey. The Patagonians are
a barbarous people in the main and, like all barbarous people, are
vengeful, cunning, and subtle. A favourite revenge of theirs upon
unsuspecting enemies is to get within touch of them and secretly to
smear a mixture of coriander and oil of sassafras upon some part of
their bodies, and then either to lure or drive them into the forest; for
by a peculiar arrangement of Mother Nature this mixture has a
fascination, a maddening effect upon the Mynga Worm--just as a red rag
has on a bull--and, enraged by the scent, it finds the spot smeared with
it and delivers its deadly bite."

"Good heaven! How horrible! And you mean to tell me--"

"That they employed one of these deadly reptiles in this case? Yes, Sir
Henry. I suspected it the very moment I smelt the odour of the coriander
and sassafras; but I suspected that an animal or a reptile of some kind
was at the bottom of the mystery at a prior period. That is why I wanted
the flour. Look! Do you see where I sifted it over this spot near the
Patagonian plant? And do you see those serpentine tracks through the
middle of it? The Mynga Worm is there--in that box, at the roots of
that plant. Now see!"

He caught up a horse blanket, spread it on the floor, lifted the box and
plant, set them down in the middle of it, and with a quick gathering up
of the ends of the blanket converted it into a bag and tied it round
with a hitching strap.

"Get spades, forks, anything, and dig a hole outside in the paddock," he
went on. "A deep hole--a yard deep at the least--then get some straw,
some paraffin, turpentine--anything that will burn furiously and
quickly--and we will soon finish the little beast."

The servants flew to obey, and when the hole was dug he carried the bag
out and lowered it carefully into it, covered it with straw, drenched
this with a gallon or more of lamp oil, and rapidly applied a match to
it and sprang back.

A moment later those who were watching saw a small black snake make an
ineffectual effort to leap out of the blazing mass, fall back into the
flames and disappear for ever.

"The method of procedure?" said Cleek, answering the baronet's query as