"It's about the meanest thing I ever heard of!" cried his sister. "They ought to be sued for libel, don't you know," broke in Reggie. "If you sued them, Joe, you might get quite heavy damages." "It's a pity you can't put somebody in jail for it," was Mabel's further comment. "Yes, that's what ought to happen!" cried Clara. Both of the girls were wild with indignation. Although Mabel at one time, influenced by the arguments of Braxton that Joe was not really bound by a one-sided contract, had spoken to him about it in a guarded way, Joe had shown her so clearly his moral obligation that he had convinced her absolutely. And now she was angry clear through at the blow in the dark that had been launched against him. "Who could have done such a contemptible thing?" she cried. "It must have been that horrid Westland!" exclaimed Clara. "Maybe," agreed her brother. "I rather hope it was." "Why?" asked Jim curiously. "Because," gritted Joe through his teeth, "he's a big fellow and I won't be ashamed to hit him." CHAPTER XXV THE COBRA IN THE ROOM Ceylon was a land of wonders to the tourists. Here they were in the very heart of the Orient. Rare flowers and strange plants grew in glorious profusion, the air was odorous with a thousand scents, and it was hard for them to realize that at that very moment America might be suffering from zero weather or swept by blizzards. Here life moved along serenely and dreamily, lulled by the sound of birds and drone of locusts, wrapped in the warm folds of eternal summer. "It's an earthly Eden!" murmured Clara, as she and Jim walked along one of the main streets of Colombo, followed at a little distance by Joe and Mabel. "Yes," replied Jim with a laugh, "and not even the snake is missing." He pointed to a group of natives and Europeans on the other side of the street who were gathered about a snake charmer. "Ugh, the horrid things!" exclaimed Clara with a shudder. "Let's go over and take a look," suggested Jim. Clara demurred at first and so did Mabel. They were used to seeing snakes behind a network of wire and glass, and they did not relish the idea of standing within a few feet of the crawling serpents in the open street. But curiosity, added to the urgings of the young men, finally conquered, and they joined the throng on the other side. The performer, an old man with bronzed face, was squatting on his haunches playing a weird tune on a reedy instrument resembling a flute. Before him was upreared a monstrous specimen of the deadly cobra species, swaying gently to and fro and keeping time to the music. Its malignant eyes looking out from the broad head whose markings resembled a pair of spectacles had lost something of their fiery sparkle, and a slight haze spread over them, as though the creature were under a spell.