than equivalent to the value of the things they had taken, and went on
their way rejoicing.

At midday they sat down, lit a fire with some dried sticks, and put their
rice in the pot to boil. As Ned was stooping to pick up a stick he was
startled by a simultaneous cry of "Look out!" from Dick, and a sharp hiss;
and looking up, saw, three or four feet ahead of him, a cobra, with its
hood inflated, and its head raised in the very act of springing. Just as
it was darting itself forward Dick's stick came down with a sharp tap on
its head and killed it.

"That was a close shave, Ned," the boy said, laughing; "if you had stooped
he would have bit you on the face. What would have been the best thing to
do if he had bitten you?"

"The best thing is to suck the wound instantly, to take out a knife and
cut deeply in, and then, as we have no vesuvians, I should break up half a
dozen pistol cartridges, put the powder into and on the wound, and set it
alight. I believe that that is what they do in some parts of Eastern
Europe in the case of the bites of mad dogs; and this, if no time is lost
after the bite is given, is almost always effectual in keeping off
hydrophobia."

"Well, Ned, I am very thankful that we had not to put the virtue of the
receipt to a practical test."

"Would you like to eat the snake, Dick? I believe that snake is not at all
bad eating."

"Thank you," Dick said, "I will take it on trust. We have got rice; and