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What kind of men were they? How did they look? asked Agnes.
What do you want to know for, Miss Detective? chuckled Neale.
So as to be on the watch for them. If I see one of them about our car, I shall make a disturbance, announced the beauty, with decision.
I dont know much about them, admitted Mrs. Heard, laughing with the others over Agnes statement. But one was a young man with a fancy band on his straw hat and yellow freckles on his face. I believe he had a little mustache. But he might shave that, she added, reflectively.
And change the band on his hat, whispered Neale to Agnes, his eyes dancing.
Never mind about his hat-band, Neale ONeil! cried Agnes, standing up suddenly in a most disconcerting way. What is that ahead?
Neale promptly shut off the power and braked. Agnes was greatly excited, and she pointed to a place in the road not many yards in advance.
The way was narrow, with rocky fields on either side approached by rather steep banks. Indeed, the road lay through what might well be called a ravine. It was the worst piece of road, too (so the guidebook, said), of any stretch between Milton and Marchenell Grove.
As the car stopped, Neale saw what Agnes had seen. Right across the way directly in front of the automobile lay something long and iridescent. It was moving.
Oh! shrieked Agnes again. Its a snake a horrid, great, big snake!
Well, what under the sun did you make me stop for? demanded the boy. Id have gone right over it.
That would have been cruel, boy, declared Mrs. Heard, from behind.
Cruel? Huh! Its a rattler, returned Neale.
Oh, Neale! Its never! gasped Agnes, not meaning to be impolite.
A rattler, Neale? asked Ruth. Are you sure?
Whats a rattler? asked Dot, composedly. Is it what they make babys rattles out of?
Mercy, no! shivered Tess. Neale means its a rattlesnake.
Oh! I dont like them , declared Dot, immediately picking up the Alice-doll, of which she always first thought in time of peril.
What shall we do? demanded Ruth.
Cant he drive around it? asked Mrs. Heard, rather excitedly. I dont believe at all in hurting any dumb animal not even a snake or a spider.
How about breaking the whip on old Jonas? whispered Neale to Agnes.
But his girl friend was all of a shiver. Do get around it, Neale, she begged.
Cant. The roads too narrow, declared the boy, with promptness. And I am bound to run over the thing if it doesnt move out of the way. I cant help it.
Wait! cried Mrs. Heard. Get out and poke it with a stick.
Why, Mrs. Heard! exclaimed Ruth, do you realize that a rattlesnake is deadly poison? I wouldnt let Neale do such a thing.
Besides being a suffragist, declared Mrs. Heard, firmly, I am a professing and acting member of the S.P.C.A. I cannot look on and see a harmless beast it is not doing anything to us wantonly killed or injured.
Good-night ! murmured Neale.
Just then the snake and it was a big fellow, all of six feet long seemed to awaken. Perhaps it had been chilled by the coolness of the night before; it was lethargic, at any rate.
It lifted its head, whirled into the very middle of the road, and faced the automobile defiantly. In a moment it had coiled and sprung its rattle. The whirring sound, once heard, is never to be mistaken for any other.
Oh, dear! what shall we do? gasped Agnes. If you try to run over it, it may get into the car or something, said Ruth.
The roadway was narrower here than
it had been back where the brown pony had held the party up. This first trip in their automobile seemed to be fraught with much adventure for the Corner House girls and Neale ONeil.
CHAPTER IV SALERATUS JOE
Mrs. Heard did not want her S.P.C.A. sensibilities hurt; Agnes wanted him to drive on; Ruth wished him to dodge the coiled rattler. As for getting out and coaxing it to move on with a stick, Neale had no such intention.
He tried starting slowly to see if the serpent would be frightened and open the way for the passage of the car. But the rattler instantly coiled and sprang twice at the hood. The second time it sank its fangs into the left front tire.
Cricky! gasped Neale. They say you swell all up when one of those things injects poison into you; but I dont believe that tire will swell any more than it is.
Dont make fun! groaned Agnes. Suppose it should jump into the car?
If we only had a gun, began Neale.
Well, I hope you havent, young man, cried Mrs. Heard. Im deadly afraid of firearms.
Dont get out of the car, Neale, begged Agnes, clasping her hands.
Try to back away from it, suggested Ruth.
The smaller girls clung to each other (Dot determinedly to the Alice-doll, as well), and, although they did not say much, they were frightened. Tess whispered:
Oh, dear me! Im fraid enough of the wriggling fish-worms that Sammy digs in our garden. And this snake is a hundred times as big!
And fish-worms dont shoot people with their tongues, do they? suggested Dot.
Just at that very moment, when the six-foot rattler had coiled to strike again, there was a rattling and jangling of tinware from up the road. There was a turn not far ahead, and the young folks could not see beyond it.