esnake?" asked Bob,

monster?" i

"I see a specimen worth ten dollars at the l

bug?" ask

king a sudden dive forward, sliding on his fa

water at that point, and the professor, in t

Save me!" he exclaimed a moment later,

nd the professor had gone head first into the ooze,

nd yank him out or he'l

as pulled from his uncomfortable and dangerous position. As he rolled about in

, are your fingers

xcused on the part of a man who has just dived into a mud hole. "My fingers are not hurt in the least. What I hav

to 'em," commented Jer

he professor. "This mosquito will add to my fame, and I shall devote one wh

st of us," said Bob, as

had to be made to the auto, and when t

ner before we start

ed. "Never saw him when he wasn'

just as hungry as I am," expostulated Chunky

materials carried in the auto for camping purposes, a

rijoles and tortillas," complained Bob. "I'd like a

some fish over in that little brook," said the professor, poi

th some pieces of canned meat for bait they went fishing. They caught several large white

to act as cook, had put the fish on to broil with some strips of bacon,

y cross the zenith as they reclined in the shade of the big trees on eith

looked and saw it would soon be du

nless we want to sleep o

ofessor gathering up his specimens, including the

o Texas I expect we'll have some news from Nestor, as I wrote him to let us kn

o see old Jim a

I," chime

was rapidly growing dusk, and the chief anxiety was to reach some town or village where they could spend the night. For, though

d hills as the auto glided along, and, almost be

lling what we'll run into on this road. No use

give me a chance to stretch my legs. I'm

luminate the big search lamp and the smaller ones that burned oil. He had just

eeing that something was wro

ried Bob in a f

ha

are stretched right across the road, and we

ll creatures a snake, m

ousand of 'em!" he

will have a chance to select some fin

" gasped Bob. "You'l

of the night a strange, whirring buzz.

will get out. Probably moccasins, cotton-mouth

clamation he gave caused the boys to glance toward the gro

e reptiles seemed to be moving in a vast body to some new location. There were

!" exclaimed Ned. "Sta

p among us, and I have no desire to be bitten by any of these reptiles. They are too deadly. So keep the car still until

notion to climb up and investigate the

which had twined itself around the wheel spokes, reared its ugly head

xclaimed as he made a motio

yelled the professor. "It's a diamond-bac

coming up on my s

p here!" shouted Ned. "They'll ov

car, and, though most of them dropped back to the ground again, a few maintained the

n ahead, or go backward, and, if we stay he

om of the car for his rifle, gave a cry a

asked the prof

is lariat," said Je

snakes?" asked Ned, wonder

ade of horse hair, and I think I

shaking i

es hated horse hair, and would nev

el

o the snakes will not cross it to come to us.

med Ned. "That

om sight. With the help of Ned and Bob, Jerry began to