The Silver Canyon | Page 9

beating off a whole tribe of Indians as if they were so many
Jack rabbits."
"Well, we are Englishmen," said Bart proudly.
"Yes, we are Englishmen," said Joses, winking to himself and laying
just a little emphasis upon the men; "but we can't do impossibilities if
we bes English."
"Joses, you're a regular old croaker, and always make the worst of
things instead of the best."
"So would you if you was hungry as I am, my lad. I felt just now as if I
could set to and eat one o' them alligators that paddles about in the
lagoons, whacking the fishes in the shallows with their tails till they're
silly, and then shovelling of them up with their great jaws."
"Well, for my part, Joses, I'd rather do as the alligators do to the fish."
"What, whack 'em with their tails? Why, you ain't got no tail, Master
Bart."

"No, no! Eat the fish."
"Oh, ah! yes. I could eat a mess o' fish myself, nicely grilled on some
bits o' wood, and yah! mind! look out!"
Joses uttered these words with quite a yell as, dropping his rifle, he
stooped, picked up a lump of rock from among the many that lay about
on the loose stony hill slope they were climbing, and hurled it with such
unerring aim, and with so much force, that the hideous grey reptile they
had disturbed, seeking to warm itself in the first sunbeams, and which
had raised its ugly head threateningly, and begun to creep away with a
low, strange rattling noise, was struck about the middle of its back, and
now lay writhing miserably amidst the stones.
"I don't like killing things without they're good to eat," said Joses,
picking up another stone, and seeking for an opportunity to crush the
serpent's head--"Ah, don't go too near, boy; he could sting as bad as
ever if he got a chance!"
"I don't think he'd bite now," said Bart.
"Ah, wouldn't he! Don't you try him, my boy. They're the viciousest
things as ever was made. And, as I was saying, I don't--there, that's
about done for him," he muttered, as he dropped the piece of rock he
held right upon the rattlesnake's head, crushing it, and then taking hold
of the tail, and drawing the reptile out to its full length--"as I was
a-saying, Master Bart, I don't like killing things as arn't good to eat;
but if you'll put all the rattlesnakes' heads together ready for me, I'll
drop stones on 'em till they're quite dead."
"What a fine one, Joses!" said Bart, gazing curiously at the venomous
beast.
"Six foot six and a half," said Joses, scanning the serpent. "That's his
length to an 'alf inch."
"Is it? Well, come along; we are wasting time, but do you think
rattlesnakes are as dangerous as people say?"

"Dangerous! I should think they are," replied Joses, as he shouldered
his rifle; and they tramped rapidly on to make up for the minutes lost in
killing the reptile. "You'd say so, too, if you was ever bit by one. I was
once."
"You were?"
"I just was, my lad, through a hole in my leggings; and I never could
understand how it was that that long, thin, twining, scaly beggar should
have enough brains in her little flat head to know that it was the surest
place to touch me right through that hole."
"It was strange," said Bart. "How was it?"
"Well, that's what I never could quite tell, Master Bart, for that bite,
and what came after, seemed to make me quite silly like, and as if it
took all the memory out of me. All I can recollect about it is that I was
with--let me see! who was it? Ah! I remember now: our Sam; and we'd
sat down one hot day on the side of a bit of a hill, just to rest and have
one smoke. Then we got up to go, and, though we ought to have been
aware of it, we warn't, there was plenty of snakes about I was just
saying to Sam, as we saw one gliding away, that I didn't believe as they
could sting as people said they could, when I suppose I kicked again'
one as was lying asleep, and before I knew it a'most there was a sharp
grab, and a pinch at my leg, with a kind of pricking feeling; and as I
gave a sort of a jump, I see a long bit of snake just going into a hole
under some stones, and he gave a rattle as he went.
"`Did he bite you?' says Sam.
"`Oh, just a bit of a pinch,' I says. `Not much. It won't hurt me.'
"`You're such a tough