HANS STEALS THE KEYS A few hours later some of the White Kendah arrived at the house and very politely delivered to us Ragnall's and poor Savage's guns and pistols, which they said they had found lying in the grass on the mountain-side, and with them the bull's-eye lantern that Ragnall had thrown away in his flight; all of which articles I accepted without comment.

That evening also Harut called and, after salutations, asked where Bena was as he did not see him.

Then my indignation broke out: "Oh! white-bearded father of liars," I said, "you know well that he is in the belly of the serpent which lives in the cave of the mountain." "What, Lord!" exclaimed Harut addressing Ragnall in his peculiar English, "have you been for walk up to hole in hill?
Suppose Bena want see big snake.

He always very fond of snake, you know, and they very fond of him.

You 'member how they come out of his pocket in your house in England?
Well, he know all about snake now." "You villain!" exclaimed Ragnall, "you murderer! I have a mind to kill you where you are." "Why you choke me, Lord, because snake choke your man?
Poor snake, he only want dinner.