Pagina 428 di 657

"The band! the speckled band!" whispered Holmes.

I took a step forward. In an instant his strange headgear began

to move, and there reared itself from among his hair the squat

diamond-shaped head and puffed neck of a loathsome serpent.

"It is a swamp adder!" cried Holmes; "the deadliest snake in

India. He has died within ten seconds of being bitten. Violence

does, in truth, recoil upon the violent, and the schemer falls

into the pit which he digs for another. Let us thrust this

creature back into its den, and we can then remove Miss Stoner to

some place of shelter and let the county police know what has

happened."

As he spoke he drew the dog-whip swiftly from the dead man's lap,

and throwing the noose round the reptile's neck he drew it from

its horrid perch and, carrying it at arm's length, threw it into

the iron safe, which he closed upon it.