There was a faint suggestion of writhing, a grunting ejaculation or two, and a few words as if of appeal or command, which had the effect of making Mak step forward to the pigmy's help, and together the blacks hauled the dying reptile to where the morning's work had been going on. "Well, I am disappointed," cried Mark. "It's only a little one, after all." "Little one!" said the doctor, as he bent over the stretched out prize. "Why, it's a good twelve feet long! A python, evidently." "And pretty thick," said Dean; "quite as thick round as my leg," and raising his foot he planted it upon the serpent near to its tail. "Oh!" he shouted, as he started back, for at his touch the reptile drew itself up together almost in a knot, and then stretched itself out again, to the great delight of the two blacks. "Well, I don't see anything to laugh at," said Dean, and he looked rather discomfited, while the doctor went on, "Beautifully marked. Not unlike the Australian carpet snake; but quite spoiled as a specimen." "Not a nice thing to take home, doctor," said Mark. "The skin would not have been very heavy," said the doctor, smiling. "Well, no," said Mark. "I say, Dean, carpet snake! How many skins would it take to make one carpet?" "Beg pardon, sir," said Dan; "think these 'ere have got any stings in their tails?" "No. Why?" "Because he managed to catch me a flip across the lynes, and I've got a sort of fancy that it's beginning to prickle, though I can't say as it warn't a thorn." "Ha, ha!" laughed Mark. "I don't think about it, my lad," said the doctor, "and you may just as well get rid of that popular fallacy." "But some of them do sting, sir," said Buck, "because I did hear of a fellow being killed by one in a precious little time." "Not by a sting, my man," said the doctor, "but by a bite from some small serpent that had poison fangs." "Then don't no snakes have stings in their tails, sir?" "No, my man; you must turn to insects or scorpions for dangers of that class." "Ho!" said Dan thoughtfully, as he stood looking down at the slowly heaving length at his feet. "Well, I never knowed that before. But if I had ha' knowed that this 'ere customer had got his nest in among them ol' stones just where I was digging I should have mutinied against orders and sent old Buck. Beg pardon, sir, but could you say if this 'ere was a cock or a hen?" "No, I couldn't," said the doctor, laughing. "Why do you ask?" "I was only wondering, sir, whether him or she had a messmate down in the hole." "You may take it for granted that if that serpent had a companion it has escaped by now." "Well, that's a comfort, sir." "Oh, I see," said the doctor, with a peculiar look at the boys; "you were thinking that we were wasting a good deal of time over this business instead of digging down."