The snake was preparing to lunge forward, its terrible head swaying slowly from side to side. Whether or not the fangs contained poison, the boys did not know, but they knew they could not take a chance. Neither Bob nor Joe was an outstanding shot with a revolver, and they felt rather panic-stricken as they raised the weapons and took aim. After a few seconds that seemed to the youths like hours, Bob pulled the trigger. A moment later the cold sweat burst out on his forehead, as he saw that he had missed. Before he could take another aim, the reptile would be upon him, a mass of scaly ferocity. Bang! Joe's pistol spoke out, and the bullet caught the snake in the neck, just as it was about to strike. Another shot from Joe's automatic struck in a vital spot. The fiendish head turned violently, then fell to the ground with a thud. The tail twitched about momentarily, and as life passed out, the horrible body lay still. It was some time before Bob and Joe could regain their natural peace of mind, for the strain had been great. Their hearts were beating rapidly from the unusual mental exertion. "A narrow escape!" breathed Joe, putting his gun back in its holster. "Thanks to you, old boy, we came out alive," praised Bob, giving his friend an affectionate pat on the back. "It was your coolness and determination that sent those bullets in the right place. I was too nervous, I guess." "But say," began Joe, turning aside the commendation of his friend, "our dads might want this fellow as a specimen. Do you suppose they would? Those bullets didn't shatter it as a rifle cartridge would have." The youths were not particularly anxious to handle the long, scaly body, but they felt it their duty to do all they could for their fathers. "What say we take it to the edge of the hill and roll it down?" suggested Bob. "The way is gradual and there are no protruding crags to tear it." "All right. We never can carry it without falling ourselves." The reptile was pushed over the side of the dune, and the boys made their way down. They slid more than climbed, but reached the bottom uninjured. Mr. Lewis came out to meet them, on his face a look of anxiety. "What kept you so long?" he asked. "That over there," replied Joe, pointing to the snake, which lay but a few feet away. The naturalist ran over to it. Then he straightened up in surprise. "A horned viper," he pronounced. "Where'd you find it?" Bob related the narrow escape at the top of the dune, not forgetting to point out Joe's part in killing the reptile. When he had finished, Mr. Lewis shook his head gravely. "Never leave camp without your rifles," he warned them. "In a strange land anything is likely to happen." During breakfast the youths' experience with the viper was the chief topic for conversation. Tishmak looked at the boys with a new respect as he heard the account of their daring deed.