CHAPTER IX.
BAITING A RATTLESNAKE.
Of course they all hastened after the scoutmaster and Bumpus; thelatter really leading the way, with a consequential way about him, asthough he felt that he ought to be looked upon as master ofceremonies, by right of first discovery.
"Here's the pole I had, when I poked him," he remarked, picking it upas he spoke.
"But where's the rattler?" demanded Giraffe, just as swift as that;for he was always as quick as lightning in his ways. "Show the oldfraud to us, will you? Must a slipped away while you came to camp withthe water."
"Huh!" sneered Step Hen, "I'd rather believe now, Bumpus don't know arattler when he sees one. P'raps it was only an innocent little gartersnake he was pokin', and a locust was singin' in a tree all the while."
Bumpus looked furious. He had lately gained quite an envious reputationfor a remarkable knowledge of woodcraft; and he was up in arms at theidea of being thus placed once more in the tenderfoot class.
"Think I don't know a genuine rattlesnake when I see one, do you; well,what d'ye think of a feller that'd jump over a log without even lookin',and when a common garden variety of black snake gave him a jab, hehollered that he was poisoned by a terrible rattler, and could even seehis poor leg swellin' up right before his eyes. Me not know one, whenI've been in the Zoo reptile house down in New York, and even watchedone swallow a rat! Well, I guess you're away off, Step Hen Bingham."
"Yes," put in Thad just then, "and it's too early in the day for alocust to be in the noise business; I ought to have thought of thatmyself, I own up. Let's look around, boys, and locate the thing; butbe mighty careful how you step. I can cure a good many things withthe few little remedies I carry; but excuse me from having to tackle aregular dose of rattlesnake poison."
"It is a bad thing, I tells ye, lads," asserted Toby Smathers, who hadcome along with the rest, even the Indian boy being present. "Many'sthe time, years ago, I've seen the Injuns getting poison from arattler, so's to make their war arrows more deadly. An' I tells ye, itwar worth watchin'. If so be we kin find this critter, I'll show yehow 'twas done, if Mr. Scout Master sez so."
"First get your rabbit, before you start to cooking him," laughed Thad.
Just then Giraffe let out a whoop.
"Here he is, all coiled up again, and looking wicked, now, I tellyou!" he called out; and the others rushed in that quarter.
"Well, he is a sorter big un for the mountains, sure enough," admittedthe guide after he had taken a look. "Wait here a bit till I come backwith a piece of deer meat, and I'll show ye how 'twas done. Keep himriled-up like, but not strikin' too hard at that pole, or he'll emptyhis pizen sack on it."
Thad had himself heard more or less about such things; or else read ofthem in stories of the old-time Indians, the Iroquois, Delawares,Shawanees and other tribes who disputed the way of the early pioneers;and he was just as eager to watch the process as any of the other boys.
The rattlesnake was coiled, just as they always are when danger hoversnear; because, when caught at full length, the reptile is next toharmless, since it cannot strike and make use of its only means ofdefense, its poison fangs.
Thad saw to it that no one approached near enough to be in any danger.Once the pole was extended by Bumpus, just to show his mates how he hadbeen baiting the awful looking thing. Instantly that flat head sprangout toward the object; and as Bumpus adroitly drew it away, rememberingthe injunction of the guide, the rattlesnake, finding nothing to strike,was thrown half its length out of coil. It was almost laughable to seewith what haste it managed to curl up again, and with that rattlebuzzing furiously, seemed to defy anything to touch it.
Then Toby Smathers came hurrying up. He was fastening a piece ofvenison (which had been left over several days, and kept well in thedry mountain air,) to another long pole, which he had secured; notwishing to handle the one that had already been struck numerous timesby the fangs of the snake.
"Now you're going to have something worth while to mudge at, oldfeller!" cried Bumpus, as he threw his pole away, and pushed a littlecloser in the ring, anxious to see all that went on.
Toby was soon ready. He thrust the pole out, and all of them couldhear the sound of the concussion as the reptile struck the piece ofmeat fastened at the end. It made most of the boys shudder just tocontemplate being hit such a venomous blow with all the fury of amaddened reptile.
Again and again did Toby cause the snake to repeat the blow, turningthe meat around several ways, so that it might all be impregnated bythe virus.
"Now that's about done," he said; "and the quicker ye kill that crazything the easier I'll feel. Lost a partner once when on a rangetending forests for the Government, and ever since I've got a grudgeagin rattlers."
Thereupon Bumpus once more picked up his long pole and aimed a viciousblow at the raised head of the snake. Taking the creature fairlyacross the neck he sent it spinning away.
"Look out there!" shouted Giraffe, giving a hop, skip and a jump inanother direction; "he may be playing possum on us! Keep clear of him,everybody; and you, Bumpus, hit him again as hard as you can. It ain'tthe easiest thing agoin' to kill a snake, let me tell you."
Accordingly the fat scout raised his pole, and brought it down severaltimes with might and main, on the neck of the fearful looking reptile;until finally Thad declared that it was beyond ever doing any harmagain.
"And the rattle belongs to Bumpus, if he cares to claim it," said thescoutmaster. "It isn't a pretty thing, but then every time he looks atit, he'll be apt to remember this occasion, and can picture the camp,the mountains, and all the rest of it."
"Including Mike and Molly, our gentle pack mules," added Giraffe;immediately bending down to assist Bumpus secure his prize.
"Now, you see," said the guide, as he held up the piece of freshvenison so as to show the streaks of green, where the terrible poisonhad permeated it, "after they done this, the reds used to jest let themeat lie till it was old and soft, and chuck full of pizen. Then allthey had to do was to push the point of an arrow into the same, anddry it in the sun. But I'm told they never do such things any more,which I take it is a good job. Thar be some things that seem too tougheven for savages to use in war; and pizen is one of 'em, I reckons."
"For goodness sake bury it, Toby!" begged Smithy, turning pale as hecontemplated the object the guide was holding up. "And I surely hopewe will not have the misfortune to run across any of the same breedwhile we're stalking those strange big-horn sheep."
"Not much danger, because rattlers they's apt at this time of year tokim down to damp places, when they kin find such," the guide explained;but at Thad's request he did put the piece of venison underground.
"If later on some hungry wolf digs it up, why, I'm sorry for that samebeast," Giraffe remarked, as they returned once more to the camp.
"Must be near time for us to skip out," said Step Hen, giving thescoutmaster a look of entreaty, as though imploring Thad to bemerciful, and cut their waiting short.
"Five minutes yet before the half hour is gone," declared Allan.
An exclamation from the Indian drew their attention just then. The Foxwas pointing, and on following the direction of his extended brownfinger the boys saw what had caught his always vigilant eyes.
Away up on the top of the cliff that towered so many hundred feetabove its base several figures were moving. They were plainly men, andwhite men at that. No need for any one to dart into the tent, and getthe field glass, in order to know who these parties were, though Thaddid secure it, as he wished a closer view.
"It's sure that Krackerjack crowd!" cried Giraffe. "Better get a moveon, Aleck, and drop out of sight before they glimpse you."
But the other shook his head.
"It's too late for that now," he declared. "Kracker has got a spyglass leveled at this camp right now; and he's sure glimpsed me beforethis."
And when Thad a minute later looked through the field glasses at thethree who were on the cliff he saw that Aleck
had spoken truly; foreven then the biggest of the trio was watching them through a pair ofglasses.
Now and then he would turn, to say something to one of his companions.These fellows, known as Waffles and Dickey Bird respectively, were notin the same class with the giant Kracker, with regard to size; thoughas to reputation, possibly they were able to run him a close race;since they were all looked upon as a pretty bad lot by the settlersand miners with whom they came in contact.
"Wonder what he thinks?" remarked Davy Jones, who seemed almosttempted to try and use his kodak on the party, only his good sensetold him they would look like specks at such a great distance, andthere would be no satisfaction in the picture.
"How d'ye expect they ever found that Aleck was no longer on theledge?" asked Step Hen.
"Perhaps they may have been in camp somewhere, that gave them a viewof the ledge, and looking in vain for Aleck, they hurried up to seewhether he had fallen, or was climbing up someway or other," Allansuggested.
"And the chances are, they'll want to drop in here, now that theyknow he's taken up with us?" said Giraffe.
Step Hen looked anxious.
"Say, Thad, is that agoin' to interfere with our startin' out on ourlittle excursion?" he demanded.
The scoutmaster knew what was in his mind. He smiled as he replied:
"Oh! I don't see why it should, Step Hen. Fact is, the time's up now;and as I've said all I want to about taking care of yourselves, whyyou might as well make a start. There'll be enough of us left behindto take care of Colonel Kracker and his friends, if so be they dochance to call on us."
"Bring us back some nice juicy mutton, Step Hen!" called Giraffe.
"And Davy, be sure you snap 'em off in the air; we ain't fromMissouri, but we like to be shown," added Bumpus.
"I say, Smithy, the country expects every man to do his duty, suh; andif you get your chance, I give you my word, suh, that little gun canbe depended on every single time!" shouted the Southerner, Bob White.
And so, followed by the good wishes of their chums, the little partyof big-horn hunters started forth, none knowing what strange eventsmight be waiting for them among the wild uplifts of the Rockies.