CHAPTER XIV.
OVER THE MOUNTAIN TOP.
Darry was much alarmed, and with good reason. Never before had he facedsuch a snake, and the reptile looked ready to spring upon him at anyinstant.
What to do the boy did not know, yet instinctively he leaped back to thetop of the rock. Then the fish gave a jerk which almost took him fromhis feet.
"Joe! Will!" he shouted. "Come this way! I'm in a pickle!"
"What's the matter?" shouted Captain Moore, and soon he and his brotherwere coming forward as quickly as they could.
In the meantime Darry was having his hands full, for the big fish wasbound to get away. At the bottom of the rock lay the snake, with headraised and mouth wide open. Its eyes shone like diamonds.
"A snake! Kill it!" shrieked Darry.
"A snake?" echoed Joe. "Where?"
"At the bottom of this big rock. Oh, my, he's going to come up!"
"I see him," put in Captain Moore.
As he spoke the snake made a leap for the top of the rock. As thereptile went up, Darry went down, and ran along the brook's edge, stillwith his fishing-pole in his hand.
Catching up a sharp stone, Captain Moore flung it at the snake, hittingthe reptile in the tail. At once the thing whirled around, and nowforgetting Darry it turned on its assailant.
"He's coming for you!" ejaculated Joe. "Run, Will, or you'll be bittensure!"
"I'm not running from a snake," answered the young officer, and in atrice he whipped out his pistol. As the snake came on he let drive. Hisaim was true, and the snake dropped with its head half severed from itsbody.
"Good for you!" said Joe, and now he picked up a stone as large as hishand. This he dropped directly on the quivering head, and thus ended thebattle, although the body of the snake continued to wriggle for a longwhile afterward.
With white face and set teeth, Darry continued to play his catch and hewas still at it when Joe and his brother came rushing up.
"Did the snake bite you?" questioned the young captain. "Why didn't youpull in?"
"I've got something big on," answered Darry. "I didn't want to miss it."
"Well, I never!" gasped Captain Moore. "And you didn't let go even withthat snake at your heels? Well, you like a fish better than I do, I cantell you that."
Again the pole bent and threatened to break, but Darry knew what he wasdoing, and promptly let the fish have more line. Then he wound in, andas the fish unexpectedly came close to shore he gave a sudden strong,steady sweep, and up came the prize on the rocks, flapping and floppingviolently.
"My, what a whopper!" cried Joe. "He must weigh at least seven or eightpounds!"
"He felt as if he weighed about forty when he was in the water,"returned Darry, a little crest-fallen that the catch was not larger.
"That's the biggest fish I've ever seen taken out of this stream," saidthe young captain. "You can be proud of it, Darry. But to hold on whenthat snake was behind you----" He shook his head.
"Oh, I knew you'd come up and take care of that, Cousin Will."
"But I might have been too late."
"Was it a poisonous one?"
"Some claim they are poisonous, but the surgeon up at the fort says not.Still I wouldn't want to risk a bite."
"Perhaps there are more around," suggested Joe.
"No, the peculiarity of this variety of snakes is that they alwaystravel alone. If they meet they fight until one or the other is dead."
"Did you ever see such a fight, Will?"
"I did, when I first came to these parts. I was riding over a rockytrail when my horse suddenly stopped, nearly throwing me. On lookingahead to find out what had frightened my animal, I discovered two ofthese snakes. They were facing each other, with mouths wide open andfangs showing. Each was so interested in the other that neither noticedme or the horse. They faced each other for fully a minute, and duringthat time began to hiss louder and louder. Suddenly they sprang at eachother, and one snake was stung in the eye. He curled himself around theother snake's neck, and in an instant both were in a tight ball. Theyrolled around and around among the rocks. Once in a while a head wouldshow itself, and then there would be more hissing. After ten minutes theball fell gradually apart, and then one snake crawled slowly away, moredead than alive. The other snake proved to be dead, with both eyes tornfrom its head."
"Didn't you kill the other snake?" asked Darry.
"I did. That's the first and only battle I ever saw between snakes, andit was terrible while it lasted, I can tell you that."
Fishing over, they went into camp, and here rested until old Benson cameback.
"The colonel was tickled to death to receive so much deer meat," saidthe old scout. "And he says you can stay until Saturday night if youwish. His lady said she had been wanting some venison for severalweeks."
Captain Moore felt glad to think he could be out four days more.
"We'll have a grand time now," he said. "Benson, we can go right overyonder mountain, can't we?"
"To be sure," answered the scout.
"Is the hunting good over there?" asked Joe.
"Yes, lad. There used to be some buffalo there."
"Good! Let us get a buffalo by all means!" cried Darry.
"You go slow about tackling a buffalo, especially a bull," said theyoung captain. "If we do sight a buffalo you let Benson manage the wholeaffair."
It was not long before the party were off once more, up a trail whichled directly to the mountain top. Here traveling was difficult, and bothriders and horses were glad to rest at frequent intervals.
When the top was gained the sun was just sinking in the far west. Thesight on every side was a glorious one, and as the captain had a smallfield-glass with him, they could see for miles.
"There is the fort," said Joe, after looking through the glass. "I cansee the flag quite plainly."
In the west were more mountains, and between these the valley for whichthey were bound. Timber and underbrush were dense in spots, while atother points the mountain sides were covered with bold, blackish rocks,with here and there luxuriant moss of several hues. Springs and brookswere numerous, so there was no danger of a water famine.
"I can make out some game over yonder," said Darry, when he had theglass adjusted to his sight.
"What is it?"
"I can't see very plainly."
"Hand over the glass," said old Benson, and took a careful look. But thesetting sun now cast a deep shadow between the mountains, and he wasunable to tell what it was.
"Mountain deer, most likely," he said. "We'll find out to-morrow--ifthe good weather holds out."
"Do you think we'll have a storm?" asked Joe quickly.
"We'll have something; don't you think so, captain?"
"I think we'll have more wind than rain," returned Captain Moore.
"If we have a high wind, will it be safe right on the mountain top?"questioned Joe.
"We won't stay here," said old Benson. "I know of a much bettercamping-place. Come, while it is still a little light." And they set offonce more.
The place the old scout had in mind was close beside a cliff. The wallof rocks was twice as high as their heads, and on either side was agrowth of heavy timber. There was a spring at hand and a grassy patchwhich promised them an easy bed, providing it did not rain.
"If it storms we can seek the shelter of the cliff," said old Benson."It won't be as comfortable as a house or cabin, but it will be a gooddeal better than being right in the open."
The boys were glad enough to rest after the wearisome ride over the topof the mountain, and hungry for the meal the old scout took upon himselfto prepare.
When the fire was lit it burned up lively, blowing the sparks in severaldirections. As soon as he finished cooking the meal Benson put out theblaze.
"Too much wind," he said, in reply to a question from Joe. "I don't wantto set the whole mountain side on fire."
Benson was right about the wind, which was now sweeping strongly throughthe tops of t
he tall trees. Presently it came lower, and shook up thebrushwood. The night birds began to fly around, uttering their shrillcries. The old scout listened to the birds with some concern.
"It's going to be a big blow," he said to Darry.
"You are sure?"
"Yes. The birds are afraid of it. See how they flutter around? That's asure sign."
"Birds must know a good deal, Benson."
"They do, lad--a heap sight more than folks gives 'em credit for. Wecould learn a good deal from them, if we'd only set our minds to it."
They took their time about eating, having nothing else to do. ThenBenson cared for the horses, putting them in the shelter of the brush,but away from the big trees.
At last it began to blow in earnest, and presently they heard a treelimb here and there snap with a loud report. Then the wind became sofurious they were glad enough to huddle under the cliff for shelter.
"It's coming now!" shouted old Benson suddenly. "Hold fast to your hats,boys, or you'll never see them again. And sit down on the traps!"
And in a moment more the fury of the wind storm was upon them.