His right hand was gripping the butt of his automatic.

Every nerve in him was on the alert, yet she could detect nothing of caution or preparedness in his careless voice.
"The bloodstones didn't trouble me," he answered.

"I can't remember anything that upset me more than the snakes.

I am a terrible coward when it comes to anything that crawls without feet.

I will run from a snake no longer than your little finger--in fact, I'm just as scared of a little grass snake as I am of a python.