"I'm going to hold out this stick," whispered Betty feverishly between
lips that scarcely moved, "and when he strikes, pick up that rock at your
feet and let him have it. Ready?"

"Y-yes," stammered poor Mollie, terrified, yet game to the last. "Oh,
Betty--"

But the sentence was never finished for, with a menacing movement, Betty
had thrust the stick toward the reptile and the latter with a hiss had
struck.

Quick as a flash and before the snake had time to coil again, Mollie
picked up the rock and hurled it at his sinister copper head. Her aim was
true, and the long, slithery body, robbed of its deadliness, writhed and
beat furiously at the short stubbly grass.

Mollie put her hands before her eyes, shivering, and even Betty leaned
weakly against a tree, faint and sick, now that the crisis had passed.

"I--I thought you'd be k-killed," moaned Amy, and though the tears of
excitement and horror were rolling down her cheeks, she would have been
the first to deny it had you told her she was crying. "Oh, B-Betty, you're
w-wonderful!"

"No I'm not--I'm just scared stiff," cried Betty hysterically. "Anyway,
M-Mollie did it all."

"Well, let's g-get out of here," cried Grace. Later they had time to laugh
at the chattering teeth that made it impossible to say anything without