Belgrade appeared at the door.
"We have come to make things a little more social," said the Hindu
gentleman as they entered the compartment; and the servants brought stools
from the toilet-room, so that all were seated, making quite a family group.
"Are there any snakes where we are going, Sir Modava?" asked Felix, before
any one else had a chance to speak. "I am spoiling for a fight with a
cobra;" and he came back to plain English, which he could use as well as
any one.
"Plenty of them, Mr. McGavonty," replied the East Indian. "You will not get
badly spoiled before you fall in with all you will wish to see."
"Then I will bag some of them," added Felix.
"No, you won't, Flix; they will be more likely to bag you," rallied Scott.
"But I am in earnest," persisted the Milesian. "I have seen plenty of them
in Bombay; and upon my word and honor, I don't feel at all afraid of them.
One of them might hit me when I was not looking, for they don't play fair;
but I shall be on the watch for them, and I'll take my chance."
"But, Sir Modava, do you really dare to go out where there are cobras?"
asked Mrs. Belgrave, looking at her son.
"Certainly we do; we don't think anything at all about them."
"But you are in danger all the time."
"Of course it is possible that one may be bitten when a snake comes upon
him unawares.
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