CHAPTER THIRTEEN.
IN A STRANGE NEST.
Chris's mirth had passed away as quickly as it came, and he sat erect inhis saddle.
"Going back to look for the kegs, Griggs?" he said faintly.
"Yes, of course, unless you like the job," was the gruff reply.
"I'll go with you," said Chris briskly.
"Then you'll have to nip your pony's ribs pretty tightly," cried Griggs,"for the moment he sees a snake he'll spin round and bolt."
"I'll mind," said Chris, setting his teeth.
"Come on, then."
The pair rode off back along the track littered with their impedimenta,while the doctor and the others began to try and reduce the loads of themules in difficulty to something like order.
"Oh dear, what a muddle!" cried Chris, as they went back at an amble."Why, half the things are lying about."
"Not a quarter," said Griggs gruffly, as his eyes scanned not only thescattered necessities, but every stone and scrap of dry, parched-upgrowth.
"Think any of the rattlers will be about?" said Chris.
"I dunno. I want to set eyes on those two tubs."
But the tubs were not visible, and the pair rode on till they felt thatat any moment they ought to be in sight of the enemies that put horseand mule to flight.
Still nothing was visible. The last-kicked-off pack had been passed,but there were no tubs, and the part of the desert where the tangledmass of serpents had been seen was so close that the next minute theyfelt that they were bound to see the writhing creatures somewhere amongthe stones in front.
But strange to state, their ponies displayed no uneasiness, the tighthands kept upon their reins were not needed, and the docile littleanimals stepped steadily onward towards the stone-dotted slope andbasin.
"Why, where are they?" said Chris, in a whisper, as he gazed wild-eyedand excitedly over his mount's ears and from side to side.
"I dunno, my lad," replied Griggs. "It caps me. Why, there werehundreds and thousands all about yonder when the stampede began."
"Of course there were," said Chris, "and now I can't see one."
"Not so much as a rattler. They must all have holes somewhere hereamong the stones. Mind! Take care!"
"What for? Why?"
"They may come darting out and attack us."
"I say," continued Griggs, after a careful look round, "weren't dazedwith the hot sun and dreamed all that, did we?"
"Did the mules and horses dream it too?" cried Chris scornfully.
"No, of course not. But it's a puzzle, my lad. I wouldn't havebelieved such a sight possible; but there it was. And now I wouldn'thave believed this could have happened; but it has, for I can't see asnake."
"Never mind the snakes as they're not here," said Chris, setting theexample of reining up, for the two mustangs to stand calmly enough; "Iwant to find those two water-barrels."
"Ah, to be sure; we've come for them," said Griggs, looking curiouslyabout. "I say, was that the mule that carried the kegs?"
"Oh yes; didn't you see the pack-saddle?"
"To be sure. If it hadn't been for that I should have been ready to saythat the one with the water had gone right off somewhere."
"Oh, that was the one," persisted Chris. "I know him well enough by hiswhite muzzle."
"To be sure. That's right. Then where are the kegs? Snakes ain'tthirsty things. They couldn't have rolled them away, could they?"
"What nonsense!" cried Chris. "But it is really strange. If we were ona slope I should have thought that they had gone rolling right away outof sight."
"We are on a steep slope, lad, but the barrels would have to roll up itto get out of sight like this, and I never knew barrels carry on gameslike that out of a book of fairy tales."
"Griggs," cried Chris, after a moment or two of thought, "are we in theright place? These stones are very confusing."
"Right place? Yes, look there; you can see our trail."
"Yes," replied Chris thoughtfully, as he bent down over his saddle-bow,"and--Ugh! Look there!"
"Eh? See snakes?" cried Griggs excitedly.
"No, but look there; surely all those windings in the sand were made bythem."
"To be sure. Oh yes, we're in the right spot, without a doubt. Then Itell you what. We can't see very far away any way amongst thesedotted-about stones; there must be a sharp slope somewhere near, perhapsthe edge of a precipice, or great hole in the ground."
"Crater of a volcano, perhaps," cried Chris.
"That's it, lad; the one that played at pitch-and-toss with all theseblocks of stone, and threw them all over the place."
"Then where is the hole?" said Chris.
"I dunno; somewhere about," said Griggs thoughtfully, as he lookedabout, peering in among the rocks.
"I shouldn't wonder," said Chris, as thoughtfully, "if it is quite closehere, and when the mule kicked off the tubs they went rolling down intoit and were lost."
"Oh, don't say that, boy!" cried Griggs excitedly. "You don't think ofwhat value that drop of water may be to us now."
"Oh yes, I do. I'm so thirsty; but I say, Griggs, suppose the hole intowhich they have rolled is the one that the snakes live in."
"Not it; they live in little holes and cracks just big enough for themto creep into. Well, I don't know where the things have gone. Looksharp and find 'em; your eyes are younger than mine. We shall have thedoctor after us directly to physic us both for not finding them."
"Hurrah!" cried Chris. "There they are!"
"Where? I can't see from here."
"Come nearer this way," said Chris, easing his horse off to the right."There, just at the foot of that great block."
"And hurrah the second!" cried Griggs, as soon as he had pressed hishorse into the right position. "I couldn't have seen them from where Iwas even if we had been closer. My word! They rolled a good way,didn't they?"
"No; they couldn't, because they are chained together so that they hungacross the pack-saddle. The mule must have galloped round that way whenhe kicked them off."
"Yes, I suppose you're right. Come along; I'll sling 'em across my titand walk back."
Griggs sprang off his mustang, and was in the act of passing the reinsover the animal's head, when Chris made a snatch at his collar and heldon.
"What did you do that for?" cried Griggs.
"Hist! Don't make a sound. Look," whispered Chris.
"Why, what's the matter?" said Griggs, lowering his voice, for the boy'smanner impressed him, he looked so blank and strange.
"Look! Can't you see?"
"No, not from where I am," was the reply.
"Oh, it's horrid," whispered Chris; "dreadful! The kegs are lying on anest of snakes, and they're rising and falling and playing about themlike flames round logs of wood."