length away, the noise of its mighty tail-blows
against the earth and flying pebbles
calling all the Dumps--the Doleful Dumps
-out of the dens where they hid here
making them take strange and shadowy
shapes, gigantic shapes, of threat.

"Let me get out! Oh-h! I want to get
out, away--anywhere!" shuddered Una.
"This is no-o fun."

"Yes! it is--once you get used to it,"
laughed Pemrose, who--together with the
Jack at a Pinch still hovering near--liked
her excitement warm. "Look--look at
him crimp himself along! Ever--ever see
anything so crooked?" as the great muscle
in the reptile's body contracted and relaxed
upon its hasty retreat. "When we
girls had our War Garden, a year ago, an
old farmer said we planted our potato rows
so straight that he 'vummed 'twould ma're
a black snake seasick to cross from one to
the other.'"

"Ha! Because he just naturally has to
go ajee!" laughed her scout knight, esti-
[[168]]

p167 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p168w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p169

v?