Mass George | Page 8

the patches of stony ground that lay full in
the sunshine, baked and hot.
It was very cool and silent in among the trees, whose great trunks
towered up so high, and though we could hear a chirp now and then far
above us in the leaves, all was as still as possible, not so much as a
beetle or fly breaking the silence with its hum.
There was the opening at last, and as we neared it, the tree-trunks stood
out like great black columns against the warm golden light.
Morgan held up his hand, and for the moment I felt as if we were going
to do something very treacherous, till I recalled reading about some one
having died twenty minutes after the bite of one of these snakes, and
that made me feel more merciless, as I followed my leader, who kept
picking his way, so that his feet should not light upon some dead twig
which would give forth a snap.
The next minute we were out in the sunshine, and here Morgan stopped

for me to overtake him, when he placed his lips close to my ear, and
whispered--
"I'd been over to the bathing-pool to get some o' that white sand out of
the bottom, when as I come back, I see my gentleman coiled up fast
asleep. He's over yonder, just this side of the pine-trees, left of that big
sugar-loaf--the light-green one."
He pointed to a tall cone-like cypress, and I felt that I knew the rough,
bare, stony place exactly.
"Ready?" he whispered again.
I nodded.
"Then you must walk this time like a cat. Perhaps he's gone, but he may
be fast asleep still."
He made a point with his fork to show me how he meant to fix the
reptile to the ground, and I took a good grip of my rake-handle,
intending to try and disable the monster by one blow.
This part of our journey was much more tedious than the other, for we
were now getting close to the spot, and we knew that though sometimes
it was possible to walk close by a snake without disturbing it, at other
times the slightest sound would send it gliding rapidly out of sight.
We approached then in the most stealthy way, Morgan holding his fork
the while as if it were a gun, and we were advancing upon the enemy.
Low growth had sprung apace about the clearing, so that we could not
get a sight of the spot till we were close by, when Morgan softly parted
the bush-like growth, peered out, drew back, and signed to me to
advance, moving aside the while, so that I could pass him, and peer out
in turn.
I was not long in availing myself of the opportunity; and there, not a
dozen feet from me, lay twisted about, something like a double S, a

large specimen of the serpent I had so often heard about; and a curious
shrinking sensation came over me, as I noticed its broad flat head,
shaped something like an old-fashioned pointed shovel, with the neck
quite small behind, but rapidly increasing till the reptile was fully, as
Morgan said, thick as his wrist; and then slowly tapering away for a
time before rapidly running down to where I could see five
curious-looking rings at the end of the dull grey tail.
"A rattlesnake," I said to myself, as with a kind of fascination I eagerly
looked at the line which marked the gaping mouth showing plainly in
an ugly smile; then at the dull creamy-brown and grey markings, and
the scales which covered the skin, here and there looking worn and
crumpled, and as if it was a trifle too big for the creature that wore it as
if it were a shirt of mail.
I should have stood there staring at the repellent-looking creature for
long enough, had not Morgan softly drawn me back, and then led the
way round to our left, so that we could have the sun behind us, and
approach the dangerous reptile without having to rustle through the
bushes close at hand.
"Mind you keep back, my lad, till I've got him safe," whispered Morgan,
"then hit him hard."
"Is it as dangerous as they say?" I asked.
"Worse, look you; that's why I want to pin him first. I might hit him a
good crack, but snakes are hard to kill, and he might throw his head
about and bite even then, though I arn't quite sure even now that they
don't sting with their tails."
"I'm sure they don't," I whispered back.
"Ah, that's all very well, Master George, but I don't see as you can
know much better than me. Anyhow, I'm going to risk it;