Mass George | Page 9

so here goes,
and when I say `now,' bring down that rake-handle as big a whop as
you can with both hands, right on his back."

I nodded, and we stood out now on the barren, stony patch close to the
fir-trees, with the sun casting our shadows in a curious dumpy way on
the earth, and our enemy about thirty feet away.
Morgan signed to me to stand still, and I obeyed trembling with
excitement, and eagerly watching as he cautiously approached with his
pole extended before him, ready to make a dart at the snake, whose
head lay half turned for him, and its neck temptingly exposed, ready for
the fork which should hold it down.
On went Morgan, inch by inch, his shadow just before him, and in spite
of his injunction, I could not refrain from following, so as to get a good
view of the encounter; and besides, I argued with myself, how could I
be ready to help unless I was close at hand?
Consequently I stepped on nearer too, till I could see the reptile quite
clearly, distinguishing every scale and noting the dull, fixed look of its
eyes, which did not seem to be closed, for I was not familiar then with
the organisation of snakes.
As Morgan went on the stillness of the clearing seemed terrible, and
once more I could not help thinking of what a treacherous act it was to
steal upon the creature like that in its sleep.
But directly after, the killing instinct toward a dangerous enemy grew
strong within me, and I drew in my breath, my teeth were set fast, and
my fingers tightened about the rake-handle, ready to deliver a blow.
All this took very few minutes, but it seemed to me to last a long time,
and thought after thought ran through my mind, each one suggestive of
danger.
"Suppose Morgan misses it," I said to myself; "it will be frightened and
vicious, and strike at him, and if he is bitten I shall be obliged to attack
it then, and I shall not have such a chance as he has, for the head will be
darting about in all directions."
Then I began to wish I had gone first, and hit at it as it lay, with all my

might.
Too late now, I knew; and as I saw in imagination Morgan lying
helpless there, and myself striking hard at the snake, never taking into
consideration the fact that after a deadly stroke the animal would
rapidly try to escape, and glide away.
Morgan was now so near that I saw the shadow of his head begin to
creep over the snake, and it loomed so black and heavy that I wondered
why the reptile did not feel it and wake up.
Then I stood fast as if turned to stone, as I watched my companion
softly extend the pole he carried, with the fork nearer and nearer the
creature's neck, to remain perfectly motionless for a moment or two.
There was a darting motion, and Morgan stood pressing the staff down
as the serpent leaped into life, writhing, twining, and snapping its body
in waves which ran from head to the tail which quivered in the air,
sending forth a peculiar low, dull, rattling noise, and seeming to seek
for something about which to curl.
"I've got him, Master George. Come along now; it's your turn."
I sprang forward to see that the evil-looking head was held down close
to the ground, and that the jaws were gaping, and the eyes bright with a
vindictive light, literally glittering in the sun.
"Can you hold him?" I said, hoarsely.
"Oh, yes; I've got him pretty tight. My! See that? He is strong."
For at that moment the snake's tail struck him, and twined about his left
leg; untwined, and seemed to flog at him, quivering in the air the while,
but only after writhing horribly, twisting round the pole which pressed
it down, and forming itself into a curious moving knot.
"I can't hit at it now," I said, hoarsely; "it will strike away the pole."
"Yes; don't hit yet. Wait a bit till he untwissens himself; then give it

him sharp, look you."
"You won't let it go?" I said.
"Not a bit of it, my lad. Too fond of Morgan Johns to let him stick his
fangs into me. Now you've got a chance. No, you haven't; he's twisted
up tighter than ever. Never mind, wait a bit; there's no hurry."
"But you are torturing it so," I cried.
"Can't help it, Master George. If I didn't, he'd torture me and you too.
Well, he does twissen about. Welsh eel's nothing to him."
For the snake in its rage and pain kept twining