CHAPTER XXV

A NEST OF SERPENTS

“What--what do you think they were?” asked Bob, after a few moments of silence. He spoke in low tones, so that the weird echo would not repeat his words.

“I give it up,” said Jerry.

“Maybe they were the ghosts of the three men in the boat, who may have been drowned around here,” suggested Ned.

“Nonsense!” exclaimed the tall lad. “Don’t be silly, Ned.”

“Well, I was only joking.”

“Pretty poor joking,” commented Bob. “I’m going inside. It’s chilly out here,” and he shivered.

“Yes, I guess it is more pleasant inside,” agreed Jerry. “Did you see anything of your toad, Professor?”

“No, not a thing, but I got several other valuable specimens, so my evening was not wasted. I guess I’ll go in with you.”

“What do you think those queer shapes were?” asked Jerry of the scientist, when they were once more in the cabin.

“Well, it would be hard to say,” spoke Professor Snodgrass. “Of course none of us believe in ghosts, and yet there are queer manifestations, sometimes, that even science cannot satisfactorily explain. My honest belief is that this was some effect of the fog, or night vapors arising out of the damp ground.”

“But they looked--er--just like men wrapped in sheets,” spoke Bob with a shudder.

“Yes, I dare say they did. And, if you tried hard enough you could imagine almost anything. Probably it will be easy to explain. To-morrow we will look at the place whence they seemed to arise from the ground. It may be that there is a hot spring there, and that the ‘ghosts’ were only wisps of steam vapor.”

With this explanation the boys contented themselves, and they were soon in bed. Nor did they sleep any the less soundly because of the queer manifestation. For they were sensible and healthy lads, and it took more than a so-called “ghost” to disturb their rest.

In the morning, accompanied by the professor, they made a careful examination of the place where the queer wraiths had been seen, but it afforded them no clew. The ground seemed no different from that in other spots on the island.

“Well, there’s no use bothering over that any longer,” suggested Jerry, after a bit. “We can try and solve that problem later; maybe to-night. What I think we’d better do now is to explore the island, and see if we can find any of that radium. What do you think, Professor?”

“I agree with you, and yet I am in two minds about it. You see, boys, while I want to help you find the treasure, which may or may not be here, it is very important that I look for that rare toad. Now what I am going to propose is this:

“You go off by yourselves, and hunt for the radium. I’ll tell you in what sort of rock it is likely to be found, and you can collect specimens, and bring them back with you. At night I’ll test them. But you must mark, in some way, the exact location of each bit of rock specimen you take. Then, in case there are evidences of radium, we can find the spot again.

“In the meanwhile I’ll be looking for the toad. I can soon tell if there are any on the island, and if I find there are none, or no traces of any, I’ll join you in the hunt for the radium treasure. Or, in case I do get what I am looking for, I will be satisfied, and in that case I will also join you.”

“That’s a good plan,” agreed Jerry. “Come on, Bob and Ned, and we’ll look for the radium, while the Professor is toad-hunting.”

Uriah Snodgrass had already told the boys much about radium, and the various forms in which it might be found. He only reminded them, now, of the main points to be remembered, and the three chums set off.

With eager eyes Jerry, Ned and Bob scanned the various kinds of rocks as they passed along, making their way toward the lower end of the island. As they advanced the land gradually rose until they were quite a height above the river that flowed on either side of them. Across the stream could be seen the mighty cliffs; black near the water, and of various colors as the top was approached. There was the glow of the sun overhead, but, only in the middle of the day, did the beams penetrate to the bottom of the titanic canyon.

Specimen after specimen of rock was picked up and cast aside, as none of them showed the characteristics of radium. Noon came, and the quest was unsuccessful. They ate their lunch on a shelf of rock, looking down into the wonderful river that had carved out such a channel for itself. Most of the afternoon was spent as fruitlessly, until finally Bob remarked:

“Fellows, don’t you think we’d better get back? It’s getting dark all of a sudden.”

“I think we’re in for a storm,” spoke Jerry, with a glance toward the clouds that hovered over the chasm. “And it looks as if it would be a bad one. The river is sure to rise, and I’m not altogether satisfied with the place where we left the _Comet_. She ought to be anchored higher up. Let’s get back and make her more secure.”

They hurried to such good advantage that they were almost at the place where they had left the _Comet_ when the rain came down. Professor Snodgrass had already returned, without his toad.

“Boys!” he cried, “it’s going to be a deluge! There will be a lot of water, and the river is sure to rise very high. I think we had better get in the airship, and go up until it’s over. There may be air currents down here so powerful that we can’t make headway against them. My advice is to go up.”

The others thought this good, and so, in the midst of the pelting rain, and against a current of air that every moment grew stronger, the _Comet_ arose out of the canyon. Of course they did not escape the rain by going up, but they were in less danger. All night the storm continued, but the adventurers were in comfortable circumstances, for they had anchored in a little shelter of rocks, securely tying down their craft.

“Well, now to see if there is any of Snake Island left,” remarked Jerry next morning, when the sun came out to dry up the dampness. “We’ll have another try for the radium.”

Instead of stopping at the same place where they had made the first landing, Jerry sent the airship toward the lower part of the island.

“We’ll begin there for a change,” he remarked.

It could easily be seen that the river had risen considerably, and, had they remained anchored at the spot where they had seen the “ghosts,” they would have been in grave danger. Though the water was now going down, it had lodged on the upper part of the island many big trees and piles of driftwood.

“Look at that!” suddenly cried Bob, as they were hovering over the lower end of the island, looking for a suitable landing place. “There’s a hut on the side of the hill that I didn’t notice before.”

“That’s right,” agreed Jerry, gazing at a rude structure of logs built under a sheltering bluff, about a quarter of a mile from the shore. “We passed over this place in the airship, too, but I didn’t see that. We must see what it means. Maybe there is some one living on this island. Perhaps----”

He did not finish, but they all knew whom he meant--Mr. Bentwell, the missing scientist, might be there.

Ned took the binoculars, and directed them toward the hut.

“I can’t see anyone there!” he cried. “But say--Oh, look! look!” and he almost screamed. “The snakes! The snakes! There’s a regular den of them, right in front of the hut! A nest of serpents! Look!”

With trembling hands he passed the glass to Jerry. As the tall lad looked through the binoculars his face paled.

“No wonder they call this Snake Island!” he murmured. “There must be thousands of them! I’m glad we didn’t stay on the island last night. Oh, look at those big snakes!”