[Gutenberg 30588] • The Pony Rider Boys in Alaska; Or, The Gold Diggers of Taku Pass

Excerpt: ...Ned retaliated by smiting Chunky on the nose. Then both grabbed hold of the tent wall as they slipped out from under it feet first. The tent swayed and threatened to collapse. Walter Perkins was struggling about in the dark, shouting to know what had happened. Professor Zepplin roared out a similar inquiry and sprang from his bed of boughs. He fell out into the open in his haste, but the night was so dark that he was unable to make out a single object. He could hear the two boys yelling at the rear of their tent, struggling and fighting to free themselves from the grip on their ankles. The hauling ceased suddenly. Ned reached down and freed his foot, the same movement freeing that of the fat boy. At this juncture Tad Butler dashed out from the tent, to which he had run after having thrown the freed rope away. "Here, here, what's going on here?" he shouted. "Something got us. It was a snake," howled Chunky. "Oh, wow; oh, wow!" "A snake? Nonsense!" exploded the Professor. "There are no snakes in Alaska." "There's one here and he's the biggest one you ever saw. Why, he twisted right around 111 my leg and dragged me out. I think he bit me, too," wailed Chunky. "Somebody make a light here," commanded the Professor. "That's what I say," shouted Ned. "You pulled half the hair out of my head, Chunky. I'll be even with you for that." "Did the Thing get you, too?" questioned Walter. "Get me? I should say it did. I never had anything grip me like that." Tad was busy starting the fire. The Professor, by this time, realized that the boys were in earnest; that something really had happened to disturb them, though he had not the least idea that it had been as bad as they said. The fire began snapping briskly. Tad was bending over it in his pajamas, standing as far back as possible to avoid the sparks....