The plan had been well thought out.

At the very first step the frantic prisoner might reasonably be relied on to encounter one or more of the crawling horrors.

The box on which he crouched was barely eighteen inches high.

The next box--under which rested the key--was several feet away.

The door was still farther off.
Truly Standish and Hade appeared to have hit on an excellent plan for getting rid of the man they wanted out of the way! It would be so easy for Roke to explain to possible inquirers that Brice had chanced to tread on a poisonous snake in his wanderings about the key! The slightest motion might well be enough to stir to active hostility the swarm of serpents already angered by their sudden dumping into this clammy den.
Weaponless, helpless, the trapped man crouched there and waited..