Their Lordships Request: A Harry Heron Adventure (140 page)

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It
did
not
take
long.
Dick
Peterson
was
back
quite
quickly,
saying,
"
There
is
a
fire.
Lightning
hit
the
workers
'
barracks
a
little
way
to
the
rear
of
the
house.
There
are
a
number
of
people
dealing
with
it.
"

             
"
Really?
"
Lieutenant
Rae
hesitated.
Standing
up
he
said,
"
Come
on
you
fellows,
let
us
see
what
assistance
we
may
render.
"

             
The
lightning
was
still
rippling
through
the
clouds
above
them
as
they
followed
the
lieutenant
through
the
rambling
'
residence
'
.
More
a
palace,
Harry
thought,
than
a
house,
as
there
seemed
to
be
several
wings
and
interlinking
structures.
Following
the
servant
they
arrived
at
a
partially
enclosed
yard.
At
the
end
of
this
stood
an
extensive
low
building
fronted
by
a
veranda
and
currently
showing
desultory
flames
at
one
end
of
the
roof.
Already
the
estate
workers
were
busy
pumping
water
using
a
small
manual
fire
engine
mounted
on
wheels,
the
jet
directed
at
the
flames.
A
smaller
group
were
busily
engaged
in
salvaging
furniture
and
possessions
from
the
rooms
directly
below
the
fire.
As
they
approached
another
group
arrived
with
ladders
and
began
to
mount
the
roof
with
long
poles
and
billhooks.

             
"
They
look
as
if
they
know
their
business,
sir,
"
remarked
Tom
Bowles.
"
Those
fellows
have
the
roof
open
–
see
they
are
striking
the
fire
with
that
water
jet.
"

             
"
That
'
s
the
way,
"
Lieutenant
Rae
watched
critically.
"
You
'
re
right,
they
do
know
what
they
are
doing.
"
He
broke
off
as
a
commotion
broke
out
in
the
watching
crowd
and
a
small
stampede
of
people
seemed
to
be
trying
to
escape
something
on
the
ground.
"
What
the
devil
have
they
there?
"

             
Kit
stepped
to
where
he
could
better
see,
"
It
seems
to
be
a
snake,
sir.
A
big
one
too!
"

             
The
crowd
parted
suddenly
and
Dick
Peterson
squawked,
"
The
damn
thing
'
s
coming
toward
us.
"

             
Several
of
the
men
in
the
crowd
slashed
at
the
swiftly
moving
serpent
with
whatever
weapons
they
carried
and
the
creature
seemed
to
veer
away,
making
for
the
space
beneath
the
veranda.
A
brilliant
flash
of
lightning
illuminated
the
tableau
briefly
as
the
snake
vanished
beneath
the
structure.

             
The
distraction
had
lasted
a
bare
few
minutes,
yet,
in
that
time
the
fire
seemed
to
have
been
brought
under
control
and
extinguished.

             
Lieutenant
Rae
looked
around
and
nodded.
"
That
seems
to
be
that,
fellows.
"
He
paused
as
his
eye
fell
on
a
knot
of
Indians
gathered
around
a
small
and
simply
clad
man
carrying
a
basket.
"
Hello,
what
have
we
here?
A
snake
charmer
perchance?
"
He
called
one
of
the
servants
over
and
asked,
"
What
is
that
fellow
going
to
attempt
with
the
snake?
"

             
"
He
brings
the
mongoose,
Sahib.
The
mongoose
will
kill
the
snake.
Bad
snake,
very
dangerous,
Sahib.
Cobra,
he
spit
in
the
eyes
and
blind,
then
bite
and
kill.
"
The
man
paused,
the
added,
"
The
mongoose
kill
the
cobra
and
eat.
Sahib
safe
when
mongoose
finish.
"

             
The
party
watched
in
amazement
as
the
man
produced
not
one
mongoose,
but
two,
from
his
wicker
basket.
Carefully
he
introduced
the
animals
into
an
opening
and
the
watching
party
looked
on
in
fascination.

             
"
Looks
like
a
ferret
to
me,
"
said
Eamon
Barclay.
"
Game
keepers
often
hunt
with
them
for
rabbit
and
rodents
at
home.
"
Harry
noticed
that
the
pallor
he
had
been
showing
earlier
was
fading
and
his
normal
ruddy
colouring
was
returning.

             
"
Looks
bigger
than
a
ferret,
"
said
Tom
Bowles,
taking
the
words
right
out
of
Harry
'
s
mouth.
The
sinuous
grey
creatures
were
quick
and
darted
under
the
veranda
as
they
watched.
There
followed
a
short
interlude
in
which
nothing
much
appeared
to
be
happening,
then
a
squawling
and
mewling
noise
issued
from
beneath
the
floor,
followed
by
a
brief
scuffle.
The
man
who
had
released
them
bent
and
began
calling
in
a
rather
strangely
cadenced
tone.
After
a
few
more
minutes,
one
of
the
animals
reappeared
and
shortly
afterward
the
second
appeared
dragging
the
now
dead
snake
with
it.