CHAPTER IIIGREAT SNAKES
“You get some wood, Walter, and start a fire in the fireplace, while I am cleaning the fish and getting everything ready for dinner,” said Dan, as the two boys, with the fish they had caught and the cooking utensils in their hands, started toward the grove on the bluff.
“Where’ll I find an axe?”
“There’s one in the skiff, but I don’t believe you’ll need it. Just pick up some of the dead wood; that’s all we want.”
“I’ll have a roaring fire before you’re ready,” laughed Walter, as he turned among the trees. In a brief time he had collected sufficient wood, and a blazing fire was soon made in the rude fireplace. As he completed his task, Walter turned to his companion, who now was peeling some potatoes.
“Put the kettle on and fill it with water from the spring,” Dan said. “If you are as hungry as I am, you won’t want to lose much time. I’ll have these potatoes boiling before you know it, if you are lively.”
“I’m your man,” laughed Walter, as he seized the kettle and at once went to the bubbling littlespring on the border of the woods. As soon as he returned he placed the kettle over the fire, resting it upon the flat stones. In a moment Dan dropped his potatoes into the water and then turned to his fish.
“They’re great, Dan!” exclaimed Walter, as he saw his companion take the white-meated fish which had been cleaned and skinned and, after he had carefully placed them on the broiler, hold them over the blazing fire. “Strange, isn’t it?” continued Walter. “Less than an hour ago those perch were swimming around in Six Town Pond as lively as crickets. Three hours afterward they are an important part of you and me. If I get a home run in the game to-morrow, probably that big perch that took my hook a few minutes ago will be what provided the force. One minute, a live fish chasing another smaller fish and trying to swallow it, and the next just changed into the force and nerve and muscle that knocks out a clean home run. Ever think about that, Dan?”
“Can’t say that I have. You’d do better to drop poetry and set the table.”
“You never get your feet off the earth, do you, Dan?” laughed Walter, as he turned to do as he was bidden.
“I’ve never seen a live man yet that could do that or lift himself by the straps of the boots he was wearing. Hurry up with that table!”
Walter took the table, which had been foldedand stored in the skiff, and placed it in the shade of a great tree near the fireplace. Two small camp-chairs were next taken from the boat and then the basket, in which a small tablecloth, some napkins, and some knives and forks had been arranged, was brought, and its contents spread upon the little table.
“Hurry up, Walter!” called Dan laughingly, as he faced his friend. “Dinner is almost ready. I get a cloud of smoke in my eyes every little while when the wind veers. That drives me away from the fire, so I lose time. You might get that basket under the stern seat—no, I left it in the buggy. It’s the one that has the boiled eggs, the bread, pie, cake, and etceteras in it. Bring it on if you want to rush things a bit.”
“I’ll have it here in a minute!” called Walter, as he ran swiftly toward the shaded place where the buggy had been left. Near the buggy was old Prince, the horse which the boys had driven that morning. Walter could see the black flanks of the old horse among the trees and as he came nearer he was startled when Prince suddenly snorted as if he were in great fear and began to pull upon the strap as if he were doing his utmost to get away.
“Whoa, old fellow!” called Walter. “What’s the trouble now? The flies biting you? Great——” he began as he came nearer the snorting animal and then abruptly stopped at the startling sight he saw. Crawling lazily over the grass toward the pond, which was only a few yards distant, Walter behelda snake larger than any he had ever seen out of captivity. As he stopped the great snake also stopped, and lifting its head gazed at the intruder, darting its forked tongue as if it were minded to drive its enemy from the place.
“Hi, Dan! Come over here! Come as fast as you can run! Bring the axe!” called Walter in his excitement. “Come on! Come on!”
Alarmed by the sharp call, Dan instantly dropped the cooking utensils in his hands and seizing the axe ran swiftly toward the spot where his friend was standing. Not a word did he speak until he stood by Walter’s side and then in a whisper he asked, “What’s wrong?”
“The biggest snake you ever saw has just crawled into the weeds down there on the shore!” said Walter excitedly, pointing as he spoke to the huge bed of reeds near the water. “It was as big around as an oar! It wasn’t a foot less than seven feet long! Old Prince was scared out of his——”
Dan waited to hear no more, but grasping his axe, he ran swiftly toward the rushes where Walter had said the great reptile had crawled.
“Come back here, Dan!” called Walter, shouting to his friend. “You’ll get bitten or squeezed! That thing is a terror! Come back here!”
But Dan did not heed the call of his excited companion. Parting the tall rushes, he stepped boldly into the midst of them and soon was concealed fromWalter’s sight. Hesitating a moment, the latter looked about him for a weapon of some kind, and as none could be seen he hastily seized the whip in the buggy and then ran swiftly to the aid of his friend, whose danger he was convinced was great. Cautiously approaching the rushes, he called, “Where are you, Dan? I’m here to help! Where are you?”
No reply came from the marsh, though Walter was convinced that he could trace his friend’s way by the movements of the tall rushes. Waiting a moment anxiously, he called again: “Where are you, Dan? Don’t take any chances! Come back here and let the snake do as he pleases! Come on, Dan! Come on!”
“Go back and look after the dinner!” came a low call from the midst of the weeds.
“I’m not going to leave you here alone!” retorted Walter.
“If you want anything to eat go back and look after the fire. I don’t want any help.”
“Have you seen anything of the snake?”
No reply was made to the query and after delaying a brief time Walter walked slowly back to the place where the fire was burning. He repeatedly assured himself that he was not “nervous,” but several times he was startled and stopped abruptly until he was able to decide whether a long dead branch in his pathway was really what it appeared to be. However, without any serious mishap hearrived at the place he was seeking and instantly discovered that Dan’s warning was most timely, for the fire had burned low and the frying-pan had tipped so that one of the perch had fallen into the ashes. Quickly righting the pan, he at once placed fresh wood upon the fire and soon had everything restored to its proper place. As he turned to look toward the marsh he saw his friend approaching, and it was manifest that he had not secured the snake.
“What’s the trouble, Dan? Where’s the snake?” inquired Walter.
“Got away,” answered his friend.
“Did you see it?”
“Yes.”
“How big is it?”
“Long as a fence rail.”
“I told you it was. Did you ever see as big a one before?”
“No.”
“Did it turn on you?”
“I thought it was going to, but it probably thought better of it, for it made for the deep water and I lost sight of it.”
“What kind of a snake was it?”
“Just a plain water-snake, that’s all.”
“I shouldn’t want it to bite me. I don’t like snakes anyway. The sight of one makes my flesh creep.”
“That’s all foolishness. A snake is a mightypretty thing. I’ve taken little striped snakes up in my hands a good many times and examined them. Their marking is great, Walter!”
“I’m willing to take your word for it!”
“You don’t have to, for you can see for yourself. This big fellow might put up a good fight if he was cornered, but I don’t believe he would touch anyone if he was left alone.”
“He scared old Prince all right.”
“Well, he was something of a snake, but he wouldn’t touch a live animal unless it was a frog or a squirrel.”
“Eats dead fish, doesn’t he?”
“Yes; you don’t eat live ones, do you?”
“Not if I can help it. There, I’m glad he’s gone. Think there are any more like him around here?”
“Some snakes go in pairs.”
“Do they?” inquired Walter, glancing anxiously about him as he spoke, an action that brought a trace of a smile to Dan’s face. “I’m not afraid,” said Walter hastily, as he noticed the expression on his friend’s face. “I just don’t like their company, that’s all. Are there many around here?”
“I guess if you should walk up the beach to those flat rocks yonder you’d find plenty of them.”
“Any here?”
“I guess not. Most too cool here. Snakes like warm spots.”
“Maybe the fire will draw them, then.”
“You needn’t be afraid.”
“I’m not ‘afraid,’ I tell you. I just don’t like the crawling things!”
“Well, never mind. We’ll set the table now. I guess everything is ready.”
Quickly the two boys placed their dinner on the little table. The smoking potatoes, the fish browned and hot, the various tempting viands which Grandmother Sprague had provided made a great display, and for a time conversation ceased, as both boys did full justice to the repast. Overhead the spreading branches of the huge chestnut trees provided ample shade. Before them were the waters of the pond shining and shimmering under the rays of the noontide heat. On the opposite shore men busy in the fields could be seen and over all was the glory of the perfect summer day.
“This is the way to live, Dan!” said Walter at last. “Why don’t more people try it?”
“Probably they are too busy trying to get an income.”
“That’s all right. My father says it’s a great thing for a man to learn to live within his income. He’s trying to teach me how to keep inside of my allowance.”
“I suppose that’s so,” said Dan a little dryly, “but to me it has always seemed as if there was something better than that.”
“Better than living inside of one’s income?”
“Yes.”
“What’s that?”
“Learning how to live without an income.”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” laughed Walter. “I suppose it’s true.”
“It is, when you are wanting to do what I’m going to try.”
“You mean working your way through school and college?”
“That’s just what I mean.”
“A good many have done it,” suggested Walter lightly.
“Yes, I hear that is so, but I’ve heard too that a great many people die every year. I don’t know that that fact makes dying any easier for the man when his own time comes.”
“What’s the trouble, Dan? Did the big snake scare you?”
“No.”
“What is it then?”
“I’m thinking of that home run you’re going to make to-morrow.”
“I’ll do my best.”
“We’ll need it.”
“Have they a good nine?”
“I’ll tell you more about that after the game.”
“You’re the king-pin, Dan. If you have a good head on your shoulders——”
“Yes; I’ve noticed that it’s the man with a head that gets ahead.”
“You’ll do,” laughed Walter, leaping to his feet as he spoke. “What’s next?”