"Nor, Bill, do I," said Milton soberly. "You know, I'd feel more at ease if it wasn't for the presence of the ladies. Why did they come on a journey so hazardous and so terrible?"
How often had we wondered that! We didn't know the ladies of Drome.
We at once got in motion—Narkus and Rhodes in advance, Drorathusa just behind them, then Delphis and Siris, whilst Thumbra and I brought up the rear. This disposition of our little party was as Drorathusa herself had desired it, and she had been at some pains to impress upon Rhodes and me (though there was no necessity for that) the expediency of keeping our weapons ready at any instant for action.
On we went, deeper and deeper into the wood. Strange forms of tropical vegetation, strange flowers and insects were everywhere. How interesting we should have found the place! But there was that thing, somewhere hidden, watching us perhaps—following.
Came a sharp exclamation, a dull sound from above; but it was only a bird, a thing of silver and gold, launching itself from off a branch of one of the trees which we were approaching. Away it went sailing, lovely as a vision from fairyland, and disappeared amongst the tree-trunks and foliage.
Five minutes or so passed. Another sound, an exclamation from Drorathusa, and the party came to a sudden halt.
Everyone had heard it—a clear, unmistakable but inexplicable sound, from behind. We were being followed!
We stood listening for some moments, waiting; but the sound did not come again. Save for the low, melancholy drone of insects, the spot was as silent as a tomb.
We resumed our advance, every sense on the alert. A few moments passed, and then we heard it. This time it was off to the right, almost abreast of us, it seemed.
We waited, but nothing was seen, nothing was heard.
We had advanced but twenty or thirty feet when a sudden gloom involved the forest. The scene on the instant turned weird, unearthly. This, however, was but for a few seconds; then came the light. The advance was at once resumed. But we had gone only a short distance when the gloom came once more, grew so dense that we had to come to a halt.
It lifted, just as I was on the point of switching on my light. Then like a bolt came utter darkness. And, even as the darkness fell, there was a velvety sound and a faint rustling from amongst the foliage beside us. With frantic haste I sought and pressed the light-switch. At the same instant Rhodes flashed on his light. A cry of horror broke from me. There, thrust over the top of a great log and but a few yards distant, was a long snaky head with a pair of great blazing eyes fixed upon me.
We were face to face at last!
Chapter 34
Another!
I jerked out my revolver, took swift aim, right between those great blazing eyes, and fired.
There was a fearful roar, which seemed to end in a scream, and the long snaky head and neck (no more of the animal had been visible) disappeared.
"Good work, Bill!" applauded Rhodes.
But he had spoken too soon. Hardly had the words left his lips when the monster came. A dark form, with
