CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR.
LEATHER SPEAKS OUT.
Another day, it seemed as if Sorrel felt with his master, and took him straight to a fresh part of the great sheep run, near where the vast gorge was fenced at its edge with mighty trees, beneath one of which Leather was seated, looking hard and stern.
Nic was very thoughtful that day.

There was something he wanted to ask the convict, but he always shrank from satisfying his curiosity; and this time he showed that he had something upon his mind so plainly, that Leather after their abrupt salutations had passed, said: "Not well, sir ?" "Yes, quite well.

Why ?" "Looked queer, sir." "Oh, nothing," said Nic hastily, for he had made up his mind to question the man, and now the opportunity had come he felt that he could not speak.
"I was thinking about you a little while ago, sir." "About me?
Why ?" "You were saying the other day that you had seen so few snakes.

I've seen four this morning.

Two of them are poisonous; you may as well have a shot at them." "How do you know that they are poisonous ?" "Partly from the bad character they have, sir, partly from the shape of the head." "Let's see, I've heard something about that before: poisonous snakes have a spade-shaped head, haven't they ?" "That's what they call it, sir.