Peter with utter astonishment; Tom because he saw what was the matter.
"Don't stoop, Squire.

You'll make the blood fly to your head.

Let me--" But Trebooze thrust him back with curses.
"I'll have the brute out, and send the spear through him!" and flinging himself on his knees again, Trebooze began tearing madly at the roots and stones, shouting to the half-buried terrier to tear the intruder.
Peter looked at Tom, and then wrung his hands in despair.
"Dirty work--beastly work!" muttered Trebooze.

"Nothing but slugs and evats!--Toads, too,--hang the toads! What a plague brings all this vermin?
Curse it!" shrieked he, springing back, "there's an adder! and he's gone up my sleeve! Help me! Doctor! Thurnall! or I'm a dead man!" Tom caught the arm, thrust his hand up the sleeve, and seemed to snatch out the snake, and hurl it back into the river.
"All right now!--a near chance, though!" Peter stood open mouthed.
"I never saw no snake!" cried he.
Tom caught him a buffet which sent him reeling.

"Look after your hounds, you blind ass! How are you now, Trebooze ?" And he caught the squire round the waist, for he was reeling.
"The world! The world upside down! rocking and swinging! Who's put me feet upwards, like a fly on a ceiling?
I'm falling, falling off, into the clouds--into hell-fire--hold me!--Toads and adders! and wasps--to go to holt in a wasp's nest! Drive 'em away,--get me a green bough! I shall be stung to death!" And tearing off a green bough, the wretched man rushed into the river, beating wildly right and left at his fancied tormentors.
"What is it ?" cry Campbell and Scoutbush, who have run up breathless.
"Delirium tremens.