All the men instantly stopped, grasped their arms and looked back, the young woman doing the same.

Her thought was: "That was father or Jack, but he did not hit any one; therefore, it wasn't Jack." While the six were looking expectantly to the rear Dr.Marlowe, his face flushed, and his whole appearance, showing his intense excitement, came into sight.

He was panting from his severe exertion, and raised his hand as a signal for the Ghoojurs to wait for him.

It is probable that he would have received a shot, but for an interruption that was as unexpected as it was remarkable.

Almos, the leader of the Ghoojurs, emitted a yell that could have been heard a half-mile away, and leaped several feet in the air, while his companions with exclamations of terror hastily recoiled from him.
"Great Allah! He has been bitten!" exclaimed the horrified Mustad, almost knocking the young woman off her feet in his rush towards his master; but one of the others had perceived the monstrous cobra, and, clubbing his gun, he beat the life out of it with one blow, before it could glide away into the jungle.