By a few inches he had missed his hurried aim for the
moccasin. He had intended the handful of fire to land on the
floor just in front of it, thus causing it to shrink back.
Instead the burning particles had fallen stingingly among its
coils.

The snake twisted its arrow-shaped head as if to see what had
befallen it. Then catching sight of Brice's swooping hand it
struck.

But the glance backward and the incredibly quick withdrawal of
the man's hand combined to form the infinitesimal space which
separated Gavin from agonizing death. The snake's striking
head missed the fast-retreating fingers by less than a hair's
breadth. The fangs met on the wards of the rusty key Brice
had caught up in his fingertips. The force of the stroke
knocked the key clatteringly to the floor.

Stepping back. Brice flung a second and better aimed handful
of the dwindling fire in front of the re-coiling reptile. It
drew back hissing. And as it did so. Gavin regained the
fallen key.

Wheeling about choking and strangling from the smoke, his
streamingly smarting eyes barely able to discern the fiery
trail he had laid. Brice ran through the midst of the red
line of embers to the door. Reaching it he held the key in
one hand while the sensitive fingers of the other sought the
keyhole.