"I see him now," answered Mark, as the head of the reptile was lifted. "Gosh, what a big one!" "I'd like to know if he is a rattler," said Bob, as he backed away. "Perhaps so, Bob. They say that rattlesnakes are to be found in all parts of this country." The two boys started to make a detour. As they did this Mark gave a yell even louder than that uttered by his chum: "Another snake!" "Three of them!" roared Bob. "Mark, we've gotten into a regular nest of them!" "Let us get out!" The two lads lost no time in retreating. Most of the snakes remained where they were, but one big fellow glided after them, hissing viciously. "Look out, he's after us, Bob!" "Ain't a rattler, I reckon--leastwise, I don't hear any rattle." "But he is bad enough!" "I'll shoot him!" cried the former sailor boy, and raising his shotgun, he blazed away at the reptile, hitting it in the neck. At once the snake whipped around madly, and the long, rubbery body wound itself around poor Bob's legs. "Help me! Save me!" screamed Bob, and tried to kick himself loose, but without avail. Mark saw his chum's extreme peril, and rushed forward with his own gun. He pressed the barrel between Bob's legs and up against the body of the reptile, and pulled the trigger. The shot at such close range had its full effect and the body of the snake was literally ripped to pieces by the heavy shot. The reptile fell to the ground with a quiver, and Bob lost no time in starting to run again. "I hope I didn't hurt you, Bob?" "I--I think one leg is singed, but that don't count, Mark! Ugh! what a horrible creature it was!" "Right you are." "Are the others following?" Both looked back but could see nothing of the other reptiles. Soon they had given that locality a wide berth, and then both breathed a bit easier. "We must have our eyes open after this," said Mark, as he and his chum reloaded their shotguns. "If that snake was poisonous you had a pretty close shave." "I guess I had a pretty close shave as it was," answered Bob, with a shudder. "Of all the horrible things in this world, I think a snake is the worst!" "I think so myself." They kept on, and at last reached the river, which at this point was broad and shallow, with a rocky bottom. They stopped for a drink and then gazed up and down the watercourse in perplexity. "Is the ford up or down?" asked Mark. "Just what I was trying to decide, Mark. I rather think it is down." "So do I." "Here is something of a deer trail along the stream. We can follow that until----" Bob stopped short and leaped behind a bush, motioning for his chum to do the same. "What did you see?" whispered Mark. "A deer! There he is!" "Shoot him, Bob!" Bang! went the shotgun of the former sailor boy and the deer leaped high in the air. Then it sprang into the river and started to swim across. "He will get away!"